Inmate 357
Day One, Saturday 2 January 2021: My Mask Gets Confiscated.
Our plane load enters an abandoned airport bar to be very cheerfully received by very pleasant airport staff who give the impression that they think we are all returning Kiwis and how pleased we all must be to be here. I’m not a returning Kiwi but I am so pleased and relieved to be there that I smile at one and all albeit from inside a mask that causes some interest among the nice staff as it is a proper surgical one with ties rather than elastic. I should say ‘was’ as it was confiscated and replaced with an elastic one which catches on my hearing aids – hooray for uniformity!
We were then taken by coach to the city centre and a central city hotel which is where the entertainment really began!
We were stopped immediately on exiting the bus by an officious uniformed lady for going in a straight line to collect our luggage on the hotel forecourt. We were told by her to go on a circuitous route (that was marked though I hadn’t seen that it was), and that I would have to learn what being in an isolation facility was like. I felt this was totally out of place but in hindsight how right she was!
The fact that most of us had travelled economy with reduced sleep and a 19-hour last leg and some of us were septuagenarians was obviously not taken into account. I also have a serious problem with my hearing which was probably the cause of the first incident.
We entered the foyer and joined a queue going round the distant corner into a large area and a larger reception room beyond called the ‘Ballroom’. Later on we realised that this was the first time that NZ Immigration had tried to organise testing on Day 0.
At various stations, we were quizzed over this and that and given papers to read and even a free SIM card. The nurse at one early station asked if I had any medical problems and if I was taking any medicines. I said I had ‘Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation’ but she seemed not to understand and lost interest and passed me on to a guy who gave us the free SIM card.
Further on we were invited to look at menus for supper which were stuck on a wall but before we were able to read them we were told to move on as the queue was getting too big behind us (it was their first Day 0 testing day remember).
Hurriedly we ticked a couple of things. Inmate 356 chose ‘Buttered Chicken’ and I ticked’ Tofu’ in curiosity (and ignorance). Buttered Chicken (“Chuck in”) turned out to be a very nice hot curry. (Inmate 356 hates curry) and Tofu turned out to almost inedible synthetic food (never again!) I tried to extract some bits of chicken for Inmate 356 from her curry but ended up enjoying her curry instead as I was unable to finish the Tofu. We did have a snack lunch of popcorn when we were allowed into our rooms and luckily there was some popcorn left.
Just a little before supper was brought to our rooms (300 or so and we were right at the top so presumably last) we were summoned back to the Ballroom for a COVID nasal swab. A very nice nurse congratulated me. For not bolting I assume.
We tried the TV but it stubbornly refused to show a TV Guide. However, there on the screen was Jacinda Ardern congratulating us too! There was a wonderfully comfortable king-size bed. My impression at that point was that it was a very nice city centre hotel for executives but was not really suited to being adapted to a place to isolate a bunch of exhausted travellers who are beginning to think that they are convicts but are not yet quite sure what the charges are.
Inmate 356 asked for another chair as there was only one upright chair in our room next to a small table. A plastic one was sent up that was functional. We also asked for extra pillows and some hangers and they arrived as well.
Day 2, Sunday 3 January 2021: We Are Allowed Out to the Forecourt and the Wardens Break the Alcohol Rule
We were locked up in our room until the COVID test result was known later in the day. Cold (we must have been the last to be served) but tasty scrambled eggs and bacon and very greasy hash browns (but tasty too) were delivered for breakfast. A nurse knocked on the door. She had come to take our temperatures with what looked like a space gun that we had when we were kids. She asks appropriate questions.
Multiple FaceTimes now start in earnest to and from all the well-meaning friends and rellies all over the world who feel we are in desperate need of contact with the outside world (Inmate 356 certainly needs contact with the outside world).
We learn that we are COVID Negative (praise God!). We are now allowed out to the forecourt. Hooray! Our son and his fiancée (their wedding in 2 weeks’ time reason for this privilege) roll up joyfully outside the tarpaulin-covered fence and gate at the entrance to the hotel. It has a hole in it to peer through which allows minimal communication.
They wear masks they have just bought (we have masks issued to us and have to wear them and not any fancy ones like they have or the ones that we brought ourselves). They bear 2 bags of wonderful goodies containing 2 bottles of Villa Maria, beer, chocolate, fruit, washing up liquid (we had asked for this as a couple of sachets provided won’t last more than a couple of wash-ups), nuts and cardboard bowls and plates. We had asked for these too as we can’t find any plates in the room.
It really was lovely to see them. We’re all very excited and jump up and down. I get reprimanded by a previously hidden guard for leaning on a barrier that said “Do not Lean on Barrier” (Once again I hadn’t seen it).
Mary* and Tyler* are on their way to Mass in the Cathedral. They have to take the 2 bags of goodies round the back of the hotel and we are issued with their contents later. We are informed by phone that we can have either beer or wine but not both. We choose wine and read in our notes issued yesterday that we are allowed a bottle each a day. Can we cope on that? We are told we can have the beer at another time. The beer rolls up outside our room half an hour after the wine was delivered! A wave of sympathy must be engulfing the controlling forces.
*Not their real names
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