Quarantine Day III

The Triumphant Return, continued from yesterday

Pudong Airport Pandemic Protocols

8.Pre-checkpoint for “Health Quarantine” zone (right where we used to all shoot down escalator to show passports) >> lab results checked

9.Checkpoint for Quarantine —15+ thermograph temperature check cameras in front of us.

Every single airport employee from customs and immigration to security guards, police, custodians and everyone in between all wearing full hazmat/ICU gear.

10.Passport check (previously, this would’ve been number 2. after landing rather than the 10th step)

fingerprint and photo
visa check
local phone number and address check

11.Shockingly quiet luggage pick up area. Completely desolate, yet sparkling clean. Two hazmatted folks call me over. They are painstakingly scrubbing down every single piece of luggage coming through with some sort of anti-bacterial wipes.

All conveyor belts on carousels glisten with freshly sprayed cleaning solution

12.Quarantine QR code checkpoint
This is right where I used to head on into the airport subway station—now abandoned, I presume. Fill out info online and get yet another QR code.

13.QR code checkpoint scan station

14.Follow corridor down to what reminds me of the Kentucky State Fair, except instead of tables representing each county, there are tables for each district of Shanghai. Finally, a choice! Where would I like to quarantine?
So many choices….Minhang, Changning, beneath the gleaming skyscrapers of Pudong, etc.?

I choose Songjiang (松江区). My girlfriend lives there. Check in at table and choose from 1 of exactly 2 hotel options. One is twice the price of the other. I scurry to contact girlfriend and her sister. Knowing my germophobia, they both recommend springing for the higher priced joint.

Next Up, off to quarantine! To be continued…