The lockdown worldwide has seen many of us being confined to our homes with limited movement outside these parameters.
Albeit difficult to be cooped up at home, one has the luxury still to move around from one room to another. But imagine being confined to a room for 14 days… 35 square-metres of space. This is what I’m currently in as everyone entering Malaysia, will have to go through a mandatory quarantine to lower the risk of a second wave via imported cases.
Albeit difficult to be cooped up at home, one has the luxury still to move around from one room to another. But imagine being confined to a room for 14 days… 35 square-metres of space. This is what I’m currently in as everyone entering Malaysia, will have to go through a mandatory quarantine to lower the risk of a second wave via imported cases.
Am not allowed to leave the room fo the next 14 days
Still this is a luxury as I’m in a comfortable hotel in Kuala Lumpur with all the essential amenities provided, meals included, wi-fi and my gadgets to keep me connected to the outside world. And I don’t have to pay for this – it’s covered by the government (technically my tax money too).
The first 48 hours was somewhat erratic.
The first 48 hours was somewhat erratic.
I got into my quarantine hotel, Furama in Bukit Bintang, around late afternoon. As usual, I proceeded to check all the amenities and took note on what was provided and what was not.
In each room, there is a document that lines out the house rules. There is a table that is set outside the room door where meals are placed. To keep in line with social distancing, the hotel staff will place the meals on the table, ring the door bell to let you that the meal has been delivered.
Meals times are as follows;
Breakfast: 7am – 8am
Lunch: 12pm – 1pm
Dinner: 7pm – 8pm
In each room, there is a document that lines out the house rules. There is a table that is set outside the room door where meals are placed. To keep in line with social distancing, the hotel staff will place the meals on the table, ring the door bell to let you that the meal has been delivered.
Meals times are as follows;
Breakfast: 7am – 8am
Lunch: 12pm – 1pm
Dinner: 7pm – 8pm
House rules of the do's and don't. This is specifically for the hotel I am in and I believe these change a little according to hotels.
On my first night here, being patient, I waited almost two hours for dinner that never arrived. I knew that they were short hand but and didn’t want to ring earlier as I thought that they must have been running late. But two hours is a long time and my last meal was breakfast so I rang reception to check if they were still on their rounds.
Safe to say, within 15 minutes my meal arrived with a very apologetic hotel staff and reception called to check on me to ensure I got my dinner - which is nice to know they care.
My room is somewhat a little special in layout. I have a front door, a short personal corridor that leads to two other rooms within this space. My room is one of the two and by right, the first door, leading down to my room should have been kept open – it wasn’t and no one told me to do so until then.
Safe to say, within 15 minutes my meal arrived with a very apologetic hotel staff and reception called to check on me to ensure I got my dinner - which is nice to know they care.
My room is somewhat a little special in layout. I have a front door, a short personal corridor that leads to two other rooms within this space. My room is one of the two and by right, the first door, leading down to my room should have been kept open – it wasn’t and no one told me to do so until then.
Breakfast is decent and its the usual mix of danish breads, french toast or/and bread with a piece of fruit and some protein or some mornings, baked beans.
Meals were delivered at random times the first two days as the hotel staffs were trying to get a hang of it. None of us have ever had to be in a situation like this, and the hotel is full. There are 393 people quarantine in this hotel.
A hand full of hotel staff working around the clock to not only deliver meals and cater to our small request, but also monitor security ensuring everyone stays in their rooms. This was a trial and error for everyone in management to figure out what works best – by day 3 and 4, things improved. They got a hang of it and meals were delivered within time and I’d like to believe most of us in quarantine got into the rhythm of it.
I think in the process of preparing these rooms, the hotel staff added in the essentials but sort of forgot to remove certain things, such as place cards of offers that they have. One of it was for laundry, which made me feel relieved to know that I didn’t have to hand wash my clothes.
A hand full of hotel staff working around the clock to not only deliver meals and cater to our small request, but also monitor security ensuring everyone stays in their rooms. This was a trial and error for everyone in management to figure out what works best – by day 3 and 4, things improved. They got a hang of it and meals were delivered within time and I’d like to believe most of us in quarantine got into the rhythm of it.
I think in the process of preparing these rooms, the hotel staff added in the essentials but sort of forgot to remove certain things, such as place cards of offers that they have. One of it was for laundry, which made me feel relieved to know that I didn’t have to hand wash my clothes.
Meals are usually left on the table just outside the room door to keep in line with social distancing.
Clearly that was short lived when I rang up the reception to enquire about this, to be told that they do not provide laundry service and that we would have to hand wash our own clothes. I wasn’t too disappointed as it made sense on the management front to avoid cross contamination and other health and safety reasons. This lead to another question: they haven’t provided laundry detergent.
When I enquire about this I got to find out other information. I am allowed to purchase items online or get a member of family to drop it off for me.
Items allowed: Dried prepacked goods, such as cookies, whole fruit, instant noodles, teas, coffee etc. Anything that is store bought and not home cooked or packed.
Items not allowed: Cooked food, food order in via Grab Food, Food Panda and the likes. Even home cooked meals are not allowed and beverages (starbucks and bubble tea is a no-no unless it comes in a can).
As it is, there are limited people on hand working here including the MOH staff (we have 7). If one or a number of us falls ill from food poisoning, it would put the team here under pressure to ensure these individuals are cared for on top of the need to monitor everyone in the building here. Also, if you are seriously ill, you will be taken to the hospital and admitted for treatment. But when you have recovered, you will be placed back into quarantine and restart from day one – this is the information I am reading from those who have experienced this first hand. So try not to fall ill in quarantine if you want to get home soon!
When I enquire about this I got to find out other information. I am allowed to purchase items online or get a member of family to drop it off for me.
Items allowed: Dried prepacked goods, such as cookies, whole fruit, instant noodles, teas, coffee etc. Anything that is store bought and not home cooked or packed.
Items not allowed: Cooked food, food order in via Grab Food, Food Panda and the likes. Even home cooked meals are not allowed and beverages (starbucks and bubble tea is a no-no unless it comes in a can).
As it is, there are limited people on hand working here including the MOH staff (we have 7). If one or a number of us falls ill from food poisoning, it would put the team here under pressure to ensure these individuals are cared for on top of the need to monitor everyone in the building here. Also, if you are seriously ill, you will be taken to the hospital and admitted for treatment. But when you have recovered, you will be placed back into quarantine and restart from day one – this is the information I am reading from those who have experienced this first hand. So try not to fall ill in quarantine if you want to get home soon!
A pleasant surprise from the welfare department!
The next day after I enquired about the lack of laundry detergent, I received a surprised parcel of goodies – laundry detergent with toothpaste and other essentials from the welfare department (JKM). What is nice to know is that, whatever anyone of us needed, all we had to do was ask, and if it is within reason we will receive it. May arrive a little delayed nonetheless you will still receive these items.
Within the first 48 hours, I got my first swab test done. A medical team from the Ministry of Health (MOH) came around in the afternoon, dressed in full personal protective equipment (PPE) to take swabs. A nasal swab was done, a tad bit uncomfortable as a long cotton bud is put up into your nostrils, and twisted around a little before removing it. Takes about 5 seconds but even after its over, you do feel a little uncomfortable. But the sensation eventually fades within the hour or so.
Later in the evening another medical team came around to check on my overall health, wanting to know if I had any underlying illness or if I was on medication. Before they left, I did ask if it was possible to have some Paracetamol as I’ve been having headache spells, to which they provided.
Within the first 48 hours, I got my first swab test done. A medical team from the Ministry of Health (MOH) came around in the afternoon, dressed in full personal protective equipment (PPE) to take swabs. A nasal swab was done, a tad bit uncomfortable as a long cotton bud is put up into your nostrils, and twisted around a little before removing it. Takes about 5 seconds but even after its over, you do feel a little uncomfortable. But the sensation eventually fades within the hour or so.
Later in the evening another medical team came around to check on my overall health, wanting to know if I had any underlying illness or if I was on medication. Before they left, I did ask if it was possible to have some Paracetamol as I’ve been having headache spells, to which they provided.
The MOH team came around within 48 hours to get my first swab test.
I joined the Malaysian Quarantine Support Centre Group on Facebook the day after I arrived. The group has been helpful in given out suggestion, advice and pointing people in the right direction should they have questions. Certain members of the group have also shared their experience at the hotels they were quarantined in and true to being Malaysian, meals pictures were also shared.
*if you are not acquainted with a Malaysian, a majority of us do love our food. While having breakfast, we would start to talk about what we would have for lunch or dinner. Or we would start to compare food from one place to the next, sometimes from one state to another. We would travel to other states just to go on a food-safari over the weekend – seriously some Malaysians do..
Through this group, I made friends with another person in quarantine in the same hotel as me. Its not just nice but also comforting but have a quarantine buddy, knowing both of us are going through the same thing together and cross checking information (half of it has been regarding the room service menu). The group is also a great place for information for those who are seeking to head back home to Malaysia as some active users post up relevant information or current news articles on airline travel.
*if you are not acquainted with a Malaysian, a majority of us do love our food. While having breakfast, we would start to talk about what we would have for lunch or dinner. Or we would start to compare food from one place to the next, sometimes from one state to another. We would travel to other states just to go on a food-safari over the weekend – seriously some Malaysians do..
Through this group, I made friends with another person in quarantine in the same hotel as me. Its not just nice but also comforting but have a quarantine buddy, knowing both of us are going through the same thing together and cross checking information (half of it has been regarding the room service menu). The group is also a great place for information for those who are seeking to head back home to Malaysia as some active users post up relevant information or current news articles on airline travel.
Its pyjama day, all day, everyday!
For now, its safe to say I’m enjoying this quarantine. And for someone in quarantine, I have been rather busy – that is story for another time.
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