KEEPING YOUR SANITY CAN BE A CHALLENGE IN QUARANTINE BUT IT’S NOT THAT BAD IF YOU KEEP BUSY Analysis
‘THE ONLY SPACE I CAN MOVE AROUND IS MY ROOM 214 AND THE BALCONY AT THE BACK WHICH OVERLOOKS LUSH GREEN VEGETATION. I AM NOT ALLOWED TO STEP OUT OF THE FRONT DOOR UNLESS I AM UNDER MILITARY ESCORT’
Living in a confined space for 14 days is a daunting thought if you are the outdoor type It can test your sanity but staying in quarantine in a nice hotel is not that bad if you can keep yourself busy and remain positive.
Today is my fourth full day in quarantine at Tanoa International Hotel in Nadi after arriving from New Zealand last Saturday and it’s been good so far.
The service has been excellent from the hotel, the Ministry of Health and military personnel. They are courteous and go out of their way to ensure that we have everything we need and we are comfortable.
The only space I can move around is my room 214 and the balcony at the back which overlooks lush green vegetation. I am not allowed to step out of the front door unless I am under military escort.
That is when I go to the laundry, do my washing or join a supervised walk in the morning and afternoon. They don’t actually walk with us but sit where we start near the tennis court.
The 6am walk is particularly nice because it is cool and the sun is not really up and we are sheltered by trees as we follow the road close to the perimeter fence that leads to the security post at the entrance to the hotel.
After the walk we can do our exercise in the tennis court. One hour later it could be quite exhausting if we push ourselves. When the heat finally hits us we are back in our rooms. For those who want to walk again in the afternoon, there is another session allowed. So for physical exercise to keep the blood flowing and burn the calories there is no lack of it. It depends on the individuals. It actually helps to reduce the stress and frustration of being locked up in a room all day and night for 14 days especially for those who are claustrophobic.
Some of us do exercises in the room using fitness videos or create our own techniques. One man got some concrete blocks and did his weight and muscle training in the tennis court.
One person walked at least 200 times from the door to the balcony and back and did stretches after that and it is becoming a good routine for him. The name of the game is create your own anti-stress workout.
When we first arrived on Saturday everyone was keen to connect to WiFi in the hotel so that they could keep in touch with families, workplaces and friends. The hotel management made sure the connection was set up so that we could access internet. Communication with the outside world is also an anti-stress agent. And of course there is television and those avid rugby fans were so relieved that they could watch the second Bledisloe test between the All Blacks and the Wallabies at Eden Park in Auckland live in their rooms. Security and safety standards have been maintained although we are COVID-19 free.
We are required to wear our face mask and gloves every time we leave our rooms. Face to face contacts with all personnel and others are limited, in fact discouraged unless they are essential. Everyday we get a knock from a health staff who takes our temperature to see if we have developed any symptoms.
Meals, and you have choices, are delivered three times a day for breakfast, lunch and dinner in takeway packs on a chair outside the room.
A knock on the door signifies a meal has arrived. Staff call us a day before and take our order. Yesterday we took out our linens and replaced them with clean ones left outside the door and cleaned the room with cleaning agents provided by the staff.
So room cleanliness is very much in our hands. No one will come in to clean our rooms for us and change our beddings with clean sheets. We do it ourselves.
Those chores are keeping us occupied and reducing boredom.
All in all its been an interesting learning experience so far. If it continues like this the remaining 10 days will go like a flash.