Quarantine (Stay at Home Notice or SHN)

Arrival Singapore

We landed in Singapore on July 19 after 2 flights, one of which was nearly 17 hours.  The flight was mostly empty and Singapore Airlines had great customer service. We arrived at the airport early in the morning and were ushered through several different steps including immigration, customs, and finally COVID testing (we will have had 6 tests in 2 weeks by the end of this process!), before boarding a bus to an unknown hotel to serve our 14 day quarantine.  The airport was incredibly well-organized and efficient; we were at our hotel in under 2 hours after we landed. 

We found out upon arriving that we will be staying at the Royal Plaza on Scotts Road, in the Orchard neighborhood.  Upon arriving in our room, we were disappointed to see that it is quite small and would be a challenge to have room for us and all of our luggage.  The quarantine hotel experience seems to vary widely and we seem to have landed somewhere in the middle of the road as far as I can tell.  Local citizens and residents who test positive or come in close contact with a positive person are also asked to quarantine and there was a recent spike in cases, so we've been told the options for hotels were more limited.  The room was clean and had basic necessities, and although small, turned out to be okay.  

The first day we arrived is actually counted as day 0; it's a 14 night quarantine and we're released on the 15th day at 12. 

On Day 0, Cata had a hard time understanding what was happening and asked many times to go outside.  She seems to get it later and understand that we are still going to go "home" to our new house soon.  She gets excited when the doorbell rings with our food or a delivery because she gets to see the door open. 

On Day 2, we had a video call with Grandma and Grandpa, who read some books to Cata.  Cata in turn gave them a dizzying tour of our room, including the inside of the toilet.   We also rewatched the "Parts Unknown" episode about Singapore today.  I'm so hungry for the amazing food I keep hearing about and can't wait to get out and try it....except for the fact that Singapore just went back into "Phase 2" of their safety measures, which means no dining out until August 18!  

Jet lag

On Day 3, we took the first of 3 rapid at home tests. We submit our results to the government online.  The Ministry of Manpower also gives a call each day to check in on us.

We've established a bit of a routine, which we think will help pass the time more easily.  Jet lag is still an issue, but we're almost back to normal sleep patterns we hope.  We do some cardio exercise or yoga first thing using a video on YouTube.  Cata even joins!  

We then drink some coffee; we brought good coffee and the Aeropress from home--we know our priorities!  Breakfast gets delivered at 8 am.  After breakfast, we take turns playing with Cata.  So far, we've done some simple art projects, puzzles, coloring, and some screen time when we need a break.  We try to rest in the afternoon, which is a challenge in a small hotel room with a toddler who hates naps.  We are able to get some small tasks accomplished like this blog and shopping online for new furniture while she sleeps.  We play some more until dinner, then wrap up the day with a bath and bedtime for Cata. Aside from the bit where we can't go outside, it's actually a lot like our home routine.

So far, the food has been good. It is a bento box type meal featuring local and or international recipes. We figured out how to get some wine and snacks delivered (again, priorities) so we have everything we need to help us tough it out.

Days 4, 5, and 6 sort of blend together.  We got a nice basket full of treats from our new superintendent as well as a care package from our school buddies (homemade chocolate chip cookies!)  during this time.  We video chatted with family and friends some more as well. The Olympics have started and we watched the USWNT lose to Sweden, then beat New Zealand. 

Day 7 Kristi had to begin work.  This meant a work station set-up in the bathroom (thank god for virtual backgrounds) and a lot of Peppa Pig for Cata. Matt definitely has the harder job this week with trying to entertain a 3 year old for 8 hours while Kristi works.  We took a second negative COVID test today.

Quarantine Sunrise

Days 8-11 Kristi had to work most of the days. We watched some Olympics, including women's football to help pass the time.  We watched a really intense quarter finals against the Netherlands and were so happy to see USWNT advance. The days really blend together with not a lot of activity to mark the passing of time.  The evenings tend to be the hardest time, as Cata hasn't been napping and she gets pretty grumpy after dinner. We took a 3rd COVID test and learned that our final swab will be Sunday.  We will have to travel to a nearby location to take the test and then will be returned to the hotel.  It feels good to be close to the end. Only 3 more days!

Day 12 finds us getting prepped to move on to another hotel for a few days before we can move into our new apartment.  Luckily, many things like ordering furniture and groceries and getting our internet set up can all be done from the comfort of our quarantine hotel, so we're all set to move into our house next weekend.  We even applied for bank accounts online! We also broke down and ordered some craft beer brewed in Singapore.  It was quite delicious, but at almost $5 a bottle, it will have to be a rare treat.  

Day 14 had us getting picked up and taken to a center for our last swab.  Families with small children go here because the medical staff at hotels are apparently not able to do the tests for kids. Cata did remarkably well and earned a lollipop for her bravery.  We started watching "Mare of Easttown" and are bingeing for what is likely our last chance to watch much TV for a while. We're counting down the hours to freedom now!

Day 15 and we're free and picked up to go to our next hotel by noon.  The process is smooth and we're ready to begin exploring! 

We've had occasion to interact with various government branches as well as internet/mobile companies and banks, and it has all been remarkably smooth---people who speak clear English answer the phone and give answers that solve your issue.  After dealing with bureaucracies in 2 other countries and usually getting very frustrated while doing so, this truly seems like utopia. 

The restrictions here have been pretty tough for the duration of the pandemic, but Singapore has fared pretty well when it comes to Covid-19.  They have had 63,440 cases as of July 21, 2021 and ONLY 36 deaths. How the newest cluster of cases at 182 in number is considered a crisis here makes sense when you understand how well they have dealt with the pandemic overall.  So while we are not stoked on a 14 day hotel quarantine with 6 COVID tests or wearing a mask, even outside, we are happy to be in a place that took the pandemic seriously,  kept its population safe, and is led by a government that relies on science and common sense.  School was held in person here all year long with all of the kids last year and we are hoping that remains true for this school year. 

We are very excited to leave quarantine and get our school year started.