Managing Isolation
The last stage of the airport exit process was for hotel allocation to find out where we would spend our managed isolation and the next 14 days. We were told that we were going to be staying in the Novotel Auckland Ellerslie, and the team member told us this adding, “You’re lucky! That would be my choice of any of the hotels.” Bryan did wonder if she said that for every hotel to make people feel reassured. I know that there has been press coverage about some returnees complaining about certain aspects of their managed isolation experience. I honestly had no idea where it was or what to expect.
For me it was completely irrelevant where we ended up, the relief and gratitude we both felt was immense and far more important than the star rating of any hotel we might be placed in. Within 10 minutes we were heading out of the airport and onto the shuttle bus that would drop us at the hotel. I can’t fault the checking in process at the Novotel that was to be our home and world for the next 14 days. As our details were checked, our room key was handed over, then through a wellness check before being handed a paper take-out bag containing a hot dinner for us both. Into the lifts, strictly one bubble at a time and we entered our room for the first time. What bliss to finally take off our masks and visors that we had now been wearing non-stop for the last 20 hours. A hot shower followed by a change of clothes and dinner completed the sense of rejuvenation. By 8.30 pm, Bryan was already gently purring, like the cat version of a small chainsaw, in the king-size bed.
And so began our 14 days in isolation. Somewhat ironically, the hotel room gives us probably twice the space that we had on Aroha. It is large and well laid out with a king-size bed and a sofa, each one giving us a different view of the large TV above a work desk. The TV has made a welcome change from watching Netflix on my 13″ laptop screen. We confess that the TV is dominating a lot of our day but now is not the time to feel guilty. We haven’t owned a TV for the past 4 years, so a little overindulgence now isn’t too much of a bad thing. The ability to have a hot shower without needing to refill the water tank has also been a major bonus. Bryan is insistent that the bath in our room is the same one that he last saw drifting into the sunset in Kochi. I am sure it is not the same one as he hadn’t put the plug in before it launched itself into the water. It did well to get as far as it did before it sank into the murky depths a few hundred metres from the marina. Where Bryan and baths are concerned the expression “like a duck to water” always comes to mind so having the bath as well as the shower is a real advantage.
We were surprised to learn that we were not going to be confined to our rooms, though we are encouraged to stay in them as much as possible. We have free access to any of the public areas of the hotel at any time, day or night, so long as we wear our masks and observe social distancing. This includes an outside exercise area that is the Novotel and IBIS car park. This sounds a little grim but is pleasant enough with a large tarmac area fringed with some greenery and a central grassed area lined with palm trees. The entire area is surrounded by 2-metre-high security fencing and there are several security guards stationed around the perimeter. This is mainly to keep us in, but it doesn’t feel oppressive and the guards often nod hello or exchange some words of encouragement as we walk and run our loops round and round. The police are usually on hand also and we saw them spring into action when one guest attempted a conversation with a family member over the fence. Strictly not allowed during Level 3.
We measured the full loop that we can walk as being 500 metres and each day have been increasing the number of the laps that we complete. There is an interesting self-imposed discipline that all the guests using the area stay to the left when walking and walk in a clockwise loop. While maintaining social distancing, we did get the chance to strike up a few conversations with some of the other guests on the exercise loop. It was a nice break from routine to speak to a few others about where they had been prior to returning to New Zealand and their views of the isolation experience. Along with our daily car park walks we are continuing with our daily yoga sessions and are ever grateful for our yoga travel mats which have proved invaluable everywhere we have gone.
Meals are provided, delivered to our door with a gentle tap to let us know they have been delivered, three times a day. The food is in the brown paper bags with disposable cutlery and containers. The environmental impact of this has been balanced with the health and safety benefits and is mostly bioplastics or food packs that are fully compostable. We can order additional room service at set times throughout the day, although the food provided has been of a such a good standard, and a good variety, we haven’t yet been tempted. We did get in an early order to the local Countdown supermarket though. Bryan’s usual cravings for New Zealand snacks from his youth are high on the list whenever we are back in New Zealand. We also needed some tonic water to go with the gin we bought with us from India. No outside alcohol purchases are allowed, but we can buy alcohol through the hotel if we feel the need, with a limit of 6 beers or 1 bottle of wine per room per day. This has enabled us to continue the nightly sundowner ritual that we developed over the months of lockdown in Kochi Marina.
We can get essential supplies delivered from outside also, screened by the hotel on delivery. Thankfully this meant that I was able to get delivery of a laptop charger within 24 hours of arrival at the hotel. I had managed to leave mine on the boat and realised just as we were arriving at Kochi airport. The replacement was easily resolved, even if the price of a replacement Mac charger was eyewatering! I bought my ukulele with me and have been trying to commit to a daily practice. Unfortunately for Bryan, neither his saxophone nor guitar made for easy travel partners, so both are still in India. I do feel guilty that Bryan must listen to my feeble attempts on the ukulele in such a confined space. After all, there are only so many times you need to hear REM’s “Losing my religion” but it must be said that I am able to play the Uke a hell of a lot quieter than it is possible to play the Sax!
There is a laundry service available although our clothing needs are minimal now. With no one to see us, we can slob about in pyjamas, though it makes us feel better to call it “loungewear”, while in the room. Going out for our daily walk is the only time we need to “dress up” and change into exercise gear.
Though we don’t have an opening window in our hotel room, our view is out over the roof top to Ellerslie show ground just across the road, so we have trees, green grass and a beautiful skyline to give us a sense of the outside world. And as each day passes, slowly but with an increasing sense of routine, we look forward to being able to re-join that world in just over a week’s time.
Every morning we get a wellness check at the room of our hotel. We are asked if we are experiencing any COVID symptoms and our temperature is checked. We must wear masks anytime we open the door and these health checks are no exception. On day 3 and 12 we have COVID tests. For our 1st test on day 3, we received a call to ask us to head down to the health screening area on the ground floor. The ground floor area was manned by Navy personnel as well as the Ministry of Health team to ensure we maintained social distance and knew where to go. Our details were checked before we were taken into a large room with 2 well-spaced chairs. Once seated, the COVID testing process was explained to us to tell us what was going to happen and what to expect. Though somewhat eye-watering, the insertion of the cotton bud into one nostril, while it is rotated several times, is best described as uncomfortable but not painful. The testing team were incredibly kind and re-assuring though, even pre-empting the watering eyes by providing a tissue at the start.
Though not restricted to our room, there have been just a few occasions when we have been asked to stay in until given further notice. This includes when new arrivals are coming into the hotel or, more recently, when a couple of COVID cases were identified. The hotel has an in-room tannoy system that enables the hotel team to put out hotel-wide announcements rather than having to go room to room. These announcements always start with “Testing, testing, 1- 2 – 3” and I can’t help but think of the 80’s sitcom Hi De Hi when I hear it with the expectation of hearing “Hello campers, hi de hi” in Ruth Madoc style each time it starts. Butlins holidays as a kid clearly have me stuck in a time warp.
While this was nothing like the way we saw 2020 playing out, I hope that once we are back in the outside world, we draw on these isolation experiences to help us appreciate the freedom of movement that we took for granted pre-COVID. We cannot thank the team in the Novotel Auckland Ellerslie enough for the way they are looking after us, along with all the other entities involved including the Ministry of Health and security teams. They are the ones putting themselves at risk each day to take care of us, yet are all so cheerful, friendly and incredibly helpful. One week down and one to go and, so far so good!
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