I left NZ early September for the coastal rowing world champs in Portugal. The lead up was interesting given that 5 weeks from leaving, NZ went into level 4 lockdown. Not ideal.
Still, got to Europe, rowed my butt off, proposed to my lovely lady, and then spent what was to be 2 weeks in England meeting the in-laws etc.
Two hours before my flight home on 22 October, my pre-departure PCR test comes back positive. What the …??!!
Fair to say I did not see that coming.
Back to Brighton for 10 days of home isolation, change flights, MIQ, etc.
A word of advice, please do not catch covid right before you are due to fly out. It sucks.
The challenge is that once you have covid, PCR tests can come back positive for up to 90 days. This makes getting the required negative PCR test a bit of a challenge.
NZ allows is a med cert from a Doctor called a ‘Fit to Fly’ certificate. This basically confirms you’ve had covid, have done isolation, 14 days have passed, and you no longer have any issues. Cool, makes sense.
Except… Singapore Airlines doesn’t accept those certs. Ok, time to change airlines. Oh wait, Qatar doesn’t accept those certs either. Ok… Cathay, yes they take them... but only fly once a week. Finally, Emirates, yes, and with daily flights.
My travel agent Kay Rogers from You Travel in Bethlehem, Tauranga has been superb through this process. Dealing with all the detail including with MIQ… and my emotions.
Oh, you probably want to know what happens with my MIQ spot huh?
MIQ were amazing. They literally reallocated me not once, not twice but three times due to airlines giving us the dick around.
I arrive at Heathrow with all my paperwork feeling semi confident we will be ok this time. Ha ha oh what a naïve silly boy I am. Sorry Mr Wouters, we do not accept medical certificates. We must have a negative PCR test.
Hmmm for those who know me, I am fairly reasonable until someone is taking the mickey or they’re just a complete idiot. Then I may go a little Dutch on people and quite frankly, I am a little scary. After 40 minutes of what was practically a Mexican stand-off, one Emirates Manager came over and asked when I tested positive. “22 October mate” I said. He then said, “oh ok, that’s over two weeks ago, what’s the problem? You can fly.” Just like that I am checked in.
MIQ… what’s it like?
I was at the Sudima for my seven days as the time period has shortened. I have three good meals a day, 50 minutes of exercise in the fresh air (with a mask of course) and was generally well looked after.
I particularly enjoyed the gym, the sauna, the free bar. Ha ok, I am dreaming! That said, the food was ok I thought. Sure, you could want fancier tucker for what we pay but by and large, we had good variety, healthy, and good quantity.
We also had room service but that was quite expensive really, I thought. Not quite hotel prices we typically see, but then this is no longer a typical hotel. Maybe they count on the fact that the exchange rate is useful for people coming from say the UK. They still charge $35 - $55 for a bottle of wine which typically retails for $18 in the supermarket.
One hour before I was to leave, I get a phone call. “Mr Wouters, your final PCR test is positive.” What? After two other negative tests, I am now positive? Is someone seriously taking the mickey now or what?
As noted above, PCR tests are unreliable once you have had covid. All the nurses, staff, etc at the Sudima knew I had covid 4 weeks ago. Yet here we are… time to go to Jet Park at 2pm. Meanwhile, I hear everyone else leave down the corridor… oh how cruel.
Sigh.
I am now at Jet Park waiting for more swipes of the snotter as well as get my bloods done. The bloods show my antibodies are (hopefully) where they need to be and that I do not have covid [anymore].
On the positive side, wine is cheaper at $20 per bottle. I have sky now so can watch sport, and I have a proper working desk.
So, what will happen next?
Given this trip to date, I hate to think. If nothing else, it will be entertaining to reflect on at some point when I am no longer in MIQ!
