Matthews Asia Perspective 2020: A COVID Quarantine Odyssey
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September 2020
Matthews Asia Perspective
2020: A COVID Quarantine Odyssey
When a new COVID-19 outbreak occurred in Hong Kong a month ago, I
feared that the quarantine requirement from Hong Kong to mainland China
would never be lifted. So I decided to go to China anyway—accepting the
mandated 14 days quarantine—so I could visit my parents in Qingdao.
The direct flight from Hong Kong to Qingdao had been canceled due to the
Julia Zhu
epidemic, so I booked a flight to Shanghai. In order to qualify for boarding, I
China Macro Analyst
did a nucleic acid test in Hong Kong beforehand. From the moment I started
filling in my detailed personal information to receive a “health code,” I smelt
the air of quarantine. But that was just the first of many forms to come on
this trip.
The Hong Kong International Airport was almost empty the day I took off.
Not unexpected, but still shocking. On board and before take-off, a flight
attendant taught us how to apply for another QR code for the Shanghai
Pudong International Airport. We were also told that upon arrival, we would
be required to take additional coronavirus tests immediately at the airport.
The three options for testing are throat swab, nasal swab, and serologic
test. Depending on where your flight originates, Shanghai’s local health
administration decides which test you need to take. One flight attendant told
us that he been tested for 25 times over the last 30 days.
The Pudong International Airport looked crowded compared to Hong Kong
Airport. After landing, we were told that passengers from Hong Kong need
to take two tests: the throat swab and the nasal swab, the latter of which
turned out to be particularly painful. The long cotton swabs felt like two
ferocious crab’s claws piercing through my nose all the way to the back of
my head. It hurt so much I kept pushing them away, which only made the
“claws” more determined.
2020: A COVID Quarantine Odyssey
for disinfecting the thermometer. A note reminded
that I must report my body temperature twice
a day through WeChat; the disinfectant tablets
were for the toilet, not mouth. The hotel offered
three meals a day. Ordering food for delivery from
nearby restaurants were not permitted, but online
shopping was allowed. My room was on the third
floor. The windows could be opened, but only 10
centimeters-wide from each side—perhaps to keep
me from jumping to escape?
Having had the first meal, I took out my cell phone,
opened Taobao—an online shopping portal—and
ordered a self-heating hot pot, some fresh peaches,
instant vegetable soups, snack food, more bottled
water, a yoga mat and two dumbbells.
Shandong provincial government telephoned me
On the second day, a government staff from
Shandong phoned me. After confirming my
personal information and the flight I had booked
to leave Shanghai for Qingdao in two weeks, he
suddenly asked me, “Are you sick? Your voice is low.”
“No, I am not.” I raised my voice.
“You have a heavy nasal voice. Are you having a
At the arrival gate, all the passengers were
fever or catching a cold?”
regrouped according to which province they were
heading to. There are 31 provinces in China, and “No, I haven’t. I have rhinitis...I lived in Beijing
each province had a table set up for registering for 17 years. You know the air quality there
the passengers coming its way. After all the data wasn’t very good.”
collection had been done again, we were asked to The more I explained, the more suspicious I
get on a bus to a quarantine hotel. Rumor had it sounded.
that there were three different levels of quarantine
“Well. Good to know you are healthy.”
hotels to choose according to your own budget,
but when I asked, the staff hesitated a bit and He seems to be convinced and hang up the phone.
firmly said ‘No’. Then I had an ominous hunch
that we were being transported to a budget hotel.
After one and a half hour’s bus ride, we arrived at
an express hotel in the middle of nowhere. Across
the street from the hotel was a wholesale market
for construction materials, which apparently had
been abandoned for some time.
The quarantine time was clocked from the moment
we entered the hotel. A complimentary package
was prepared in my room, including bottled water,
toilet paper, a clinic thermometer, a bottle of
disinfectant tablets, and a pack of alcohol cotton
2020: A COVID Quarantine Odyssey
In the end, the Grid Worker asked me to connect
her on WeChat to facilitate communication.
I found out that her WeChat alias was
‘Compassionate heart’ (ci xin in Chinese), with an
icon of lotus.
But someone quarantined for 38 days
When I complained about my quarantine life in
Shanghai in a WeChat group, a friend shared a
story with me.
“A friend of mine finally got the tickets to return
home from the United States with his family in
May. I don’t need to mention how hard they
tried to get the tickets in the first place. They
A Qingdao ‘Grid Worker’ telephoned me landed in Guangzhou and were taken to a
A few days later, a woman phoned me and three-star hotel for quarantine, where they took
the number suggested she was calling from nucleic acid tests once a week. About a week later,
Qingdao. The woman introduced herself as the someone on the same flight was diagnosed, and
“Grid-based community worker” of my parents’ they were only two rows behind the person. As
neighborhood. I was told that local government close contacts, they were moved to a building still
subdivided the city/village into smaller zones, under construction for a new cycle of two weeks’
and assigned each zone to a person responsible quarantine. Fourteen days later, their nucleic acid
for reporting activities to the local government test results turned out negative and they were
on a regular basis. These personnel were called finally able to return home to Nanjing. I called
“Grid Workers,” or Wang Ge Yuan in Chinese. to congratulate them, but found out that it’s not
The “Grid Worker” verified my flight to Qingdao the end of the story. The family were escorted
and the exact address of my parents’ residence. home directly from the airport in a police car and
She then told me what to expect once I arrived at put in home quarantine for another 14 days. An
the Qingdao Airport: a car would be arranged to electronic lock was installed on their door, and
pick me up from the airport to a quarantine hotel the alarm will be triggered if they tried to open
and three tests (the throat swab, the nasal swab the door without first reporting to the authority
and serologic) would be conducted once I arrive for permission. During the whole process, they
at the hotel. After a 24 hour quarantine period, had seven nucleic acid tests and quarantined for
they would do a second round of tests, but this 38 days.”
time only throat and nasal swabs. They would “Not even a minute earlier!”
then arrange a car to send me home after the
On the 10th day, a medical staff gave me the
quarantine and tests were done. I asked, “Why
second round of tests. The test report—together
will you arrange a car to send me home? Can
with the quarantine certificate—would be handed
I just go home by myself?” I was worried and
to me when the quarantine was over. Later that
feared they would impose another seven or 14
day I received a WeChat message. Apparently it
days of “home quarantine” on me, which I heard
was sent from some hotel service staff to all of us
were practiced somewhere sometime earlier.
quarantined residents.
“No,” the Grid Worker seemed surprised by my
“I saw from the monitor that someone just
question, “we will arrange a car to send you
stepped out of his room and smoked a cigarette
home, because this is a part of the process the
in the corridor. The quarantine will be finished in
Shandong Provincial Government stipulates.”
2020: A COVID Quarantine Odyssey
just a few days. Please hang in there, and do not airport, handling the transportation of their
leave the room!” responsible passengers to the quarantine hotel
The last few hours of quarantine were the hardest. of their district. The staff who received me
I couldn’t help calling the hotel service staff said he had been working at the airport since
whether I could leave now, who replied, “Not March. Once, because one of the passengers he
even a minute earlier!” received was diagnosed, he himself had had to be
quarantined for 14 days as a “close contact.”
“Passengers on 37J and 50C, please take your
Epidemic control was at this point the
luggage and leave the airplane first!”
government’s top priority. Officials at different
As soon as my quarantine in Shanghai was over, levels were all held accountable. To avoid
my “Shanghai health code” turned to green from possible misdiagnosis, it was common practice
red, which meant I was allowed to roam around for local health administrations to impose extra
the city freely. I tried to check in for the flight to tests and quarantine time. On the day I arrived
Qingdao in advance, at the quarantine
and found that the hotel in Qingdao, I
status was “checked in” had another round
and a seat near the aisle of tests, including
was allocated. a serological test.
When the airplane Twenty-four hours
landed at Qingdao later, another two tests
Airport, I felt that were conducted, this
I was just one step time no serological
away from the free test. Different from
world. Then the flight the quarantine
attendant’s voice in Shanghai, the
suddenly sounded in accommodation and
the cabin. tests in Qingdao were
“Passengers on 37J and free of charge.
50C, please take your On the last day, at
luggage and leave the 8pm, after “14+1”
plane first!” days of quarantine
37J—that was me. and five rounds of
tests, I was sent home
I immediately understood why I had been by a van. The medical staff all dressed up in
checked in “automatically.” 50C was a Chinese protective clothes handed me over to the security
student coming back from New Zealand. We guard of my parents’ residential compound, who
together left the plane, under the watchful gazes had been notified in advance to wait at the front
of the other passengers, like two suspiciously gate to receive me. The security guard signed
poisonous creatures. several papers and I was finally delivered home,
Free quarantine in Qingdao like a parcel.
Similar to the Shanghai Pudong Airport, which By the time I wrote the notes, Qingdao, a city
regrouped the arrivals by their destination with population of 9.5 million, hasn’t had any
provinces, the Qingdao airport classified the new local Covid-19 cases for more than four
“international” passengers by their residential consecutive months.
districts. Each district had a staff there at the
2020: A COVID Quarantine Odyssey As of June 30, 2020, accounts managed by Matthews Asia held positions Tencent Holdings, Ltd, developer of WeChat application, and Alibaba Group Holdings, Ltd, which owns Taobao. Important Information Matthews Asia is the brand for Matthews International Capital Management, LLC and its direct and indirect subsidiaries. The information provided herein is for educational purposes only and solely represents the views and personal experiences by Julia Zhu. Matthews Asia does not make any representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any of this information. The views and information discussed herein are as of the date of publication, are subject to change and may not reflect current views. This information does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell specific securities or investment vehicles. This document does not constitute investment advice or an offer to provide investment advisory or investment management services, or the solicitation of an offer to provide investment advisory or investment management services. This document may not be reproduced in any form or transmitted to any person without authorization from the issuer. ©2020 Matthews International Capital Management, LLC BY583_0920
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