Part Two: Arriving to Tianjin, China--Health Check at the Airport, and Beginning My 14-Days Lockdown Life at Quarantine Hotel
Lee Siu Hin
August 28th, 2020
Vlongs:
8/24-25/2020 LA-Seoul-Tianjin Flights: http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/China/2020/Videos/LA-Seoul-Tianjin.MP4
8/25/2020 Health Check at the Tianjin Airport: http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/China/2020/Videos/TianjinAirport.MP4
LA-Seoul-Tianjin, a 18-hours transit at South Korea flights to China; this is my first trip since pandemic early this year to return to my home.
Because the out-of-control pandemic in the U.S., most countries around the World are blocking the American tourists; in addition, due to the Trump had blocked flight from China since February, 2020; very few flights between China and U.S., and each flight only around 50% capacity for social distancing travel. The ticket is very difficult to buy and expensive.
I had tried to buy the tickets since April but without success, either too expensive or flight cancellations (now reduced to only once a week, a flight cancellation could be mean we need to wait at least extra week, or more for the next flight). After a 3-months try I finally able to buy a ticket with “reasonable” expensive price for August 24th.
In order to take my flight, we need to take a COVID-19 RT-PCR test within 120 hours before departure, send the record to the Chinese consulate via their health tracking app for verification (below).
After everything is OK, I am approved for the flight—just like won a lottery, but it just beginning of our long-process for traveling back to China.
I took Korean Air flight, transfer at Seoul Inchon airport to China Tianjin Binhai International Airport (because direct flight will be more expensive).
The Los Angeles International Airport is still very quiet, most passengers are Chinese returning to China--tourists stuck in U.S. since the pandemic began early this year with no way to buy returning flights due to Trump’s China flight ban; others are Chinese students, academia and workers returning home to escapee current toxic sinophobia and COVID diaster in the U.S.
There’re hundreds of thousands of Chinese students/visitors/researchers in the U.S., with only few thousands seats available per week, many are still not able to fly back to China.
During the 18-hours 2-secgments flights, every passengers need to wear mask, some also dress protective suit (the so-called moon-suit) for the entire duration of the flight.
After arrived to Tianjin airport, we begin our very detailed health check with the moon-suit health officials (It sounds like watching the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey); we fill out custom and immigration form using apps to avoid any hand touching; an interview with the health official; COVID and anti-body test for every international arriving passengers.
（Tianjin health officials inspect the airplane before allow anyone to enter terminal)
VIDEO: http://immigrantsolidarity.org/China/2020/Photos/TianjinAirport-2.MP4
（Tianjin Airport)
（Health officials interview)
VIDEO: http://immigrantsolidarity.org/China/2020/Photos/TianjinAirport-5.MP4
（Health officials interview)
（Health officials interview)
VIDEO: http://immigrantsolidarity.org/China/2020/Photos/TianjinAirport-8.MP4
After complete the process we all brought to the quarantine hotel to begin our 14-days lockdown medical observation.
After we check-in to the room, we CANNOT leave the room again for the next 14-days until the discharge and one-person one-room.
For minimum personal interaction, we have no room service, need to clean the room by yourself; and drop your garbage at outdoor. Each door has a chair the hotel staffs will bring our 3-meals to the door at the chair; we cannot order outside food (luckily I’d brought coffee, tea and energy bars for the trip).
(chair at each room)
(chair at each room)
(3-meals to the door at the chair)
VIDEO: http://immigrantsolidarity.org/China/2020/Photos/TianjinQuarantine-5.MP4
(The dinner)
(Breakfast)
VIDEO: http://immigrantsolidarity.org/China/2020/Photos/TianjinQuarantine-8.MP4
Total costs for the room, meals and a COVID test (before discharge from the quarantine hotel), approx $600-$1000USD.
Our estimate discharge date will be September 8th 2020, during this 14-days lockdown life, I’ll be eating, working and exercising inside my room.
With the virus has completely contained inside China, the current new infection cases are coming from outside China thru airplane passengers, sailors and the frozen food (there’s been several cases of frozen food contaminated by COVID were imported to China).
According to the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, at August 25th, 2020 the date when I return to China:
“….31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps on the Chinese mainland reported 15 new cases of confirmed infections (all were imported cases, 5 in Sichuan province, 4 in Shanghai municipality, 4 in Guangdong province, 1 in Tianjin municipality and 1 in Yunnan province), no new cases of suspected infections, and no deaths. 54 patients were released from hospital after being cured. 1,249 people who had had close contact with infected patients were freed from medical observation. Serious cases decreased by 3….”
VIDEO: http://immigrantsolidarity.org/China/2020/Photos/TianjinTVHealthAlert-2.MP4
The information is very transparent and widely available, at the local TV news channel, they frequently updates the new cases, location, as well as the updates of the city’s COVID testing sites with number of waiting.
VIDEO: http://immigrantsolidarity.org/China/2020/Photos/TianjinTVHealthAlert-4.MP4
Chinese government has been working very hard, the strictest passenger health check and the quarantine policy to keep the virus at the bay, still has dozen new passenger-imported cases everyday, the tasks to combat the virus is still very enormous.
* Lee Siu Hin, long-time Chinese-American low-pay immigrant workers activists, currently working on community health project; is the national coordinator of National Immigrant Solidarity Network http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org
Action LA Network http://www.ActionLA.org and China-US Bi-National Activist Solidarity Network http://www.chinadelegation.org Lee’s book “Capitalism on a Ventilator -- Impact of COVID-19 in China vs. U.S.” will be co-publish with International Action Center at August, 2020. For more information email: activistweb@gmail.com twitter @siuhin
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