How to survive quarantine: people with multiple stints behind them offer tips – and opinions on the rights and wrongs of spending 21 days alone in a Hong Kong hotel room
- Meditate, journal, read and exercise, says one traveller. ‘Arrange a treadmill or exercise bike,’ another advises. Bring a reminder of home, say others
- Having a routine and structure to your day is important, several travellers say. Know what food you will be served, and try to ensure it is wholesome, one adds
It is a truth that any article on Hong Kong and Covid-19 must include the line, “some of the toughest quarantine regulations in the world”.
But are they in fact the toughest? Is anywhere any stricter ?
I searched high and low, and received suggestions from local epidemiologists and amateur sleuths alike. However, finding a definitive answer proved impossible given the ever-changing nature of travel regulations and the difficulty in sourcing up-to-date information.
Even as quarantines in East Asia show no sign of shortening, there are some who repeatedly undergo them. Whether for personal or professional reasons, some of these quarantine veterans have endured four months of the past year confined to small rooms with windows that don’t open.
They offer some reflections and advice on life in quarantine.