The room the Breckell family stayed in for 16 hours as they waited for their results to see if they could go home. Photo / Supplied
The room the Breckell family stayed in for 16 hours as they waited for their results to see if they could go home. Photo / Supplied
Making sure your mask is on at all times during a 12-hour flight is no mean feat, but very much a reality in today's situation.
Protective gear, masks, sitting on a plane for up to four hours after it has landed and then undergoing thorough health checks before being shuffledaway to wait for the results are all part and parcel of travelling to some parts of the world now.
That is particularly so for anyone travelling to China - ground zero of coronavirus.
New Zealand woman, her husband and two young children - aged 3 and 5 - made the journey in the past few days and described the harrowing effort to get to Shanghai after escaping the city in January when the situation was worsening there.
The family have been living in Shanghai for the past four years and flew to Europe at the end of January.
Despite the worsening situation in Asia at the time, the woman revealed her shock at the lack of checks or procedures carried out at European airports when they and others from Asia arrived.
"We transited through two European airports with no health checks and merely curious glances at our masks.
"On our arrival, we called the health line to report we had arrived from China and to ask if we needed to be tested or quarantined.
"The decision meant weighing up the risks of air travel and the inspection and quarantine process in China.
"With flight disruptions, our 12-hour flight had extended to 27 hours of travel with unknown hours expected in inspection and definitely 14 days of being restricted through quarantine inside an apartment.
"We side-eyed our 5-year-old and 3-year-old and debated options that were uncertain and difficult."
Passengers wearing masks and full protective gear
They boarded their first flight on Monday, local time, wearing masks and wiping down their seats while trying to keep themselves as far from other people as possible.
On their second flight to their final destination passengers were wearing everything from masks and gloves to eye protection.
"Many were wearing face protectors, protective suits or plastic," she said.
"Temperature controls were recorded and we boarded the flight. We landed on time - and then we entered the Chinese inspection system."
Passengers had to remain on the plane for four hours as officials took people out in groups and tested them.
"From the first step off the aircraft, every single person we came in contact with wore full protective suits with masking over the seams, eye protection, mask, face shield and gloves.
"There was hand sanitiser everywhere and many [people] kept their mobile phones in plastic bags which they disinfected regularly."
The passengers were grouped according to where they had lived or transited through in the last fortnight.
"We were constantly escorted by at least one person but most often there were several or dozens of staff with us. After four hours, we were given a yellow sticker, which meant that we needed to be tested for Covid-19."
The family were eventually taken by bus to a facility where people were being held until test results proved whether or not they were infected.
"We waited there for 16 hours. The windows were nailed shut and we were anxiously herded back into the room if we opened the door or peeked out.
The room the Breckell family stayed in for 16 hours as they waited for their results to see if they could go home. Photo / Supplied
"The newer arrivals were being left in chairs outside. Our room became a luxury as we discovered that the night before, people had slept outside in chairs or inside sports centres.
"We had a heater, a duvet and a bed for the children, at least.
The woman said the process had been exhausting and lacking in information.
They were put in a situation she described as high anxiety and acknowledged there were risks of being more exposed to the virus.
But those were "petty" complaints when looking at the bigger picture, she said.
"The process put us in contact with many exhausted Chinese people who were taking care of thousands of people coming in from all over the world.
"At every stage we were met with kindness, respect and diligence towards doing the best possible to protect as many as possible," she said.
"Considering how China has suffered this year with this virus, we understand and are in awe of the complexity and effort going on to keep their people and people in their country safe."
