CORONAVIRUS | While being locked in quarantine for 14 days can be a stressful experience, several overseas returnees, including those rescued by the government after being stranded abroad, are thankful for all the good work the authorities have done for them so far.
For Gurpreet Gill, 28, her experience being stranded in Bombay, India due to the Covid-19 outbreak could have been a nightmare if not for the government's quick action to evacuate Malaysians there.
Speaking to Malaysiakini, Gurpreet said she had gone to Bombay for prayers and a holiday when the pandemic hit globally and forced the Malaysian government to enforce a movement control order (MCO), which included a restriction on international travels.
"We were evacuated from Bombay and arrived in Kuala Lumpur in the evening of April 5," she said when contacted recently.
According to Gurpreet, upon arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, she and the other evacuees were immediately screened by Health Ministry personnel before they went through Immigration and later transported to several hotels designated as quarantine centres.
She said the returnees were given two options - one of the government-sponsored hotels or Sama-Sama Hotel at KLIA, which had been approved for quarantine by the Health Ministry, but a stay at the latter would be self-paid. The government had announced before that the provided hotels would be of three-star rating, but there is a choice of better accommodation sans government sponsorship.
"As for government-paid centres, no hotel option is given. The authorities will determine which hotel you go to. And in my case, I was sent to Sunway Hotel in Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya.
"The room is equipped with basic necessities like a kettle, cups, shower gel, bar soap, towel and two rolls of tissue. Food is also provided for us three times a day. We can also order from the hotel room service, but this would be on our own expenses," she said.
However, there would be no housekeeping and laundry services for those under quarantine, she added. For laundry, they are given detergent by the hotel while extra bedding sheets and towels have also been provided in the room.
For entertainment, the guests are given free internet connectivity through the hotel wifi.
Healthcare-wise, Gurpreet said, there are Health Ministry personnel stationed at the hotel and they would regularly check up on all the people under quarantine.
"We were also given a home assessment tool at the airport for us to record our daily symptoms, if any. If there should be any symptoms present, we are mandated to contact the authorities in the lobby via room phone to immediately notify them of the possible symptoms so they are able to conduct further assessment tests."
Gurpreet said that she really appreciated the extensive efforts by the government, including the Malaysian Consulate in Bombay up to all the personnel who had been taking care of them at the quarantine centre.
"The government's initiative and effort to repatriate us has been commendable from the start of our journey; from our accommodation in Bombay to the airport, providing snacks during the wait of the flight and during the flight itself, guidance and security throughout our arrival at KLIA and shuttling us to the quarantine centre with adequate police escorts, not compromising sanitisation every step of the way.
"As a rescued passenger, the government has not left us uninformed nor worried about any arrangements from the time I registered myself with the consulate-general in Mumbai. I was immediately added to a group chat set up by the CG and informed almost on a daily basis of any updates throughout the repatriation process followed by the quarantine," she said.
Meanwhile, Jason Tham who hails from Johor Bahru also shared similar sentiments, saying that the Covid-19 response by the government was "well planned".
Tham said he went for a 14-day trekking trip in Nepal that started on March 11, but was stuck there when the country announced a lockdown 12 days later.
"All flights were cancelled, but we managed to reach the Malaysian Embassy in Nepal to seek help. There were seven people in my group, but there were around 40 Malaysians in total who were stuck in Nepal.
"The embassy then provided us with accommodation and free food since March 25 until we were successfully evacuated on April 4," he said when contacted via social media.
Tham added that while they were hoping to be evacuated and returned to Malaysia quicker, he had no complaint as they were brought home nevertheless.
He also gave a thumbs up to the quarantine facilities provided by the government. Tham is currently undergoing quarantine at Accor Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
"They take care of us. The hotel is nice, the food is nice.
"And every day, the healthcare services would call to check on our health condition," he said.
Carmen Ong, a Mandarin teaching instructor, who is undergoing quarantine at Ibis hotel in Kuala Lumpur, said she was initially feeling worried when she returned to the country from Australia on April 3.
Having been sent there on a business trip, she said her employer decided to shorten her trip as flights were being cancelled and she could be stuck there and risk overstaying.
Ong (below) was worried about how the situation would be in quarantine, as the mandatory quarantine information was still unclear by the time of her arrival.
"I was relieved when I found out that I would get a room to myself in quarantine. Overall, I am satisfied with everything that has been provided," she said.
"My condition is good. Time flies even in here. Even though I have come back, I still have a lot of work to do," Ong added, saying that she now continues to do her work by providing online tutorial to teachers. - Mkini
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