Explainer | How to survive world’s longest coronavirus quarantine without losing your mind - a personal account

Like a trip to somewhere remote, have the right gear, know what you’re in for and make sure there are people to call if things get messy, says Kate Whitehead

She exercises every day in her hotel room until she has an accident, sticks to a routine and calls friends – but the isolation still takes some getting used to

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Fresh out of her three-week mandatory “staycation”, SCMP contributor Kate Whitehead explains what she did to stay sane during her hotel quarantine. Photo: Kate Whitehead

Published: 1:30pm, 16 Oct 2021Updated: 11:58am, 27 Oct 2021

Do not take Hong Kong’s three-week hotel quarantine, the world’s longest, lightly – you’ve got to go in with a plan.

I approached it much like I planned trips to North Korea and Antarctica – made sure I had the right gear, knew the lay of the land and that there were people to call on in case things got messy.

Hong Kong’s quarantine system is based on a capitalist system – the more money you have, the better your digs.

If you’ve got HK$180,000 (US$23,000) to spend on three weeks at the The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong (I hear that doesn’t guarantee you a view but the meals are first rate) then lucky you – but no matter how fancy your room, you’ve still got to face the fact you’re not leaving it for 21 days.

Friends warned Whitehead she should be prepared to be treated like a number on arrival at Hong Kong airport. Photo: Kate Whitehead

My preparations began before I left Hong Kong. I packed a case with comfortable clothes, books, a yoga mat, face masks, a mug, plate and cutlery, and a mini-vacuum cleaner and asked a friend to drop it off at the hotel. I was returning from a month in the UK and it helped to have not just clean clothes, but also a kit of things to entertain and pamper myself.

Like everything in the quarantine experience, forewarned is forearmed. Friends warned me I should be prepared to be treated like a number on arrival at Hong Kong airport as I was processed through the Covid-19 testing system. Still, it didn’t stop me feeling sad at seeing this formerly buzzy international airport looking like a wartime triage centre.