Difference between Quarantine in KL (Nov 2020) vs Saigon (Jan 2021)

  Point by point comparison in case I forget :

1) KL quarantine period 15 days 14 nights whilst Saigon quarantine period 16 days 14 nights. 

2) Travel to KL no need Covid test prior to travel. Upon arrival of KLIA KKM officers perform swab test in the airport before immigration counter. Travelling to Vietnam you will be required to get tested 3 days before your travel date. Result to be produced to Vietnamese officers upon arrival of Saigon airport. And when you check in to Saigon airport you will be tested again using swab test.

3) In KL on the eve of your release from quarantine you will be tested again using rapid antigen test (prick finger get blood test - result in 30 minutes). In Saigon you have to go to a dedicated room in to get another swab test on the eve of your release.

4) In summary to travel to KL you only perform 1 time swab test on arrival of KLIA and then rapid blood test on eve of release. For Saigon you need to do swab test 3 times, ie 3 days before travel, day on arrival in hotel and eve of release.

5) KL hotels does not allow alcohol beverages and also proper cutlery (I asked family to send me proper butter knife and forks but was taken away. (worry people get depressed and commit suicide??) Hotels in KL only allow alternate days to deliver stuff from Grab food or family and delivered on specific time. (most of the time by the time food reach food already cold and there is no way to heat up the food unless you smuggle a hotpan or get a suite room with microwave oven)

6) Saigon hotels are much more accommodating, you can order grab food all day long and they hotel reception get the delivery and deliver to your room almost immediately. Although I paid extra to get a room upgrade to a one room apartment with kitchen and dining/living area i did not use much of the facilities except for the microwave oven to heat things up.

7) In KL quarantine I only see person at my doorsteps 3 times throughout the quarantine period (see my previous article). While in Saigon you get to see and talk to someone at least twice a day as they perform temperature check morning and afternoon.

8) Food in KL of course is halal and you are limited to certain fast food shops you cna order from grab food. You don't get to choose the food to your room ( I stayed in 5 star hotel). In Saigon (albeit 3 star hotel) they have a small menu where you can choose Western or Asian cooking and even ask you how you want your eggs in the morning.

Quarantine Jan 2021 - the Start

 After 2 months back in KL with the family finally have to fly back to Saigon to work. Covid 19 have not shown any signs of slowing down with most countries in the world registering new highs, including KL.

One good news probably is that few countries have started the vaccine process, China have 9 million people vaccinated, USA 3million. Singapore just started and Malaysia probably will start late February.

2 Jan early morning go to KLIA. Quite a long queue as the airline put everyone on same queue for different flights.

Flight to Saigon was probably 30% full. Reached Saigon without any hassle. Touched down 10am local time Submitted a bunch of forms including approval letters from Vietnamese government, COVID test results etc. (done 3 days before flight)

Had to go to the visa counter to get a temporary single entry visa and get back to main queue to clear immigration. Only 1 counter was open and it took about 50 minutes to clear immigration, by then the luggage are already out of the conveyors waiting to be collected.

We were assigned to hotel driver and was given a PPE to put on before allowed to go on the car. The quarantine hotel is only 5 minutes drive from airport. By 1230am I was in my studio unit room in the hotel. 5 minutes later phone rang to ask for my choice of lunch.

Had a look of the 56m2 room, complete with kitchen, living area and a separate bedroom with i bath room and 1 separate toilet. Started to unpack.

Quarantine 7-21 Nov 2020 The Penultimate

 Countdown 1 day!

Getting restless towards the last few days. Sleep quality was no as good as 1st week.

Around  lunch time the door bell rang. Food was served. I was in bed watching Netflix did not rush to pick up lunch. Another 10 minutes the door bell rang again... could it be??

Open door and saw 2 female KKM officers in full PPE looking at me. I hesitated a bit, did not shaved, hair uncombed, wearing my shorts haha, should I go out?

What the heck. They are the 3rd time I meet and spoke to anyone in real person, first time was a tall guy asked me to signed on some paperwork and a letter informing that my check out date is 21 Nov not 20 Nov as shown in mysejahtera.

2nd time was a tall lady passed me a letter that allows me travel from hotel to my house during the day of check out.

The second test was not a swab test but a rapid test which takes blood from your finger. Was told the result will be out within 15 minutes, any problem I will be informed.

Was curious why there is 2 different types of test between check in and check out. Apparently rapid test accuracy is not that high, is just for verification purposes.

Quarantine 7-21 Nov 2020 The Challenge

 First few days wet through without much issue. Trying to keep up with the day to day to do list planned on the first day of quarantine.

Funny enough as I complained that the hotel keep giving us plastic cutlery which was not environment friendly and hard to use, my family sent me some foodstuff and cutlery but the hotel staff or KKM officers took away the spoon/fork and butter knife before handing me the fruits my family sent.

I called up the hotline and was told cutlery was not allowed, not sure why, worry PUS (person under surveillance - yes that is what I am now) go berserk and do harm to self?

Mental challenge is main issue here, when u are locked in a hotel room for 14 days you can only do so much to keep yourself busy. There are times I ask myself how am I going to endure another 2 weeks when going back to Vietnam for work...

The urge to order more food is a daily seduction as that is basically the only thing we under our control, can't go out, can't go gym, can't go swimming...

The hotel allows alternate days to order from Grab food or Food Panda, which is highlight of the day when I see my pre ordered Burger King or KFC being delivered to my room, although cold it is still.. as I have said, highlight of the day.

Yes I did setup some targets like learn this and learn that, but it is a bit hard to concentrate with constant disruption from calls form friends, which I enjoyed most as to be able to interact with someone outside of the room is really like leaving the room breathing fresh air ...

Quarantine 7-21 Nov 2020 The routine

 Day 1 Woke up 7am and had breakfast. Food is decent compare to the other groups who have been complaining about food in the other hotels haha.

Sat down in front of the laptop and plan for my daily routine and target for the next 14 days. Including updating this blog.

2 boxes of mineral water in the room, that is a good start.

Let's see - targets - finish the 2 books i brought with me, catch up on Vietnamese lessons, exercise, compile documents for passport renewal etc etc.

Day 2.... Day 3 ... Day 4,5,6,7,8

Halfway there.

Everyday I wake up 7-8am. Wash up. Have cold breakfast which was placed outside my door since 630am (they ring the door bell every time they place the food outside the room)

After breakfast will do some work on laptop, join some meetings on VC. in between watch netflix haha. Around 12pm lunch is served. After that continue with the worklist planned for the day. Sometimes catch a quick snooze.

Around 330pm if no more meetings I will start with some exercise with help from you tube. They have some decent quarantine exercise clips which does not require equipment. Just good for lazy people like me haha.

Try to get at least 1 hour exercise a day and 6000 steps (so far only 1 day more than 6000 steps, most average 4000-5000 steps.)

After exercise get myself into bathtub and watch tik tok or youtube for half an hour haha. Then go shower.

By the time I come out normally 530pm. Time for dinner.

Day time is quite fast to pass. Night is a bit hard, a combo of VC with family, friends, watch news, netflix etc.

Try to sleep by 11pm.

Everyday... is a bit of mental challenge.

Quarantine KL 7-21 Nov 2020 (The check in)

 Touched down 10pm, 7 Nov 2020 at Terminal C of KLIA 1. AT the train station there was a blockade, we were asked to activate our Mysejahtera to fill in an arrival form. Once complete the screen will turn red and we were asked to screengrab the red notice to further our journey.

Caught the train and when to terminal 1 where immigration counters were located. Before reaching the immigration counters there was a maze of temp walls setup for COVID screening (no photos allowed but looked exactly like in the news)

Fill in form again to declare LOU and hotel. As I had already prepaid for premium package hotel the process was much faster. Next was to sit in front a doctor to sign some declaration form and then wait for time to do swab test.

Was a bit nervous on the swab test as many told me bad experience but it was not that bad. The doctor in full PPE took two swabs one from the mouth and 1 from the nose. The nose hurt a bit as they went all the way to the back of your nose. I cough out as he poked my nose and felt sorry for him as all my cough went straight to his shielded face haha!

The immigration counter was a breeze after that, after that there is another check point were most people have to wait for transport and hotel arrangement. Luckily for me the premium package include a personal meet and greet who brought me straight to take my luggage and all the way out to exit where  a hotel limo was waiting.

I was told to put all my luggage down on the floor and see a few BOMBA officers came with a pack of chemical on his back to come spray on my luggage to sterilize them.

And that was 11pm when I got into hotel limo. All in an hour, which according to limo driver is a record as he waited 2-3 hours previously for other premium package customers.

I was at the doorstep of my quarantine hotel Marriott Putrajaya at 1120 (no traffic at night).

The hotel had a side entrance setup for PUS (person under surveillance) customers. Hotel reception came with half PPE and asked me to sign a few forms for KKM and asked me to join a whatsapp group created for the hotel PUS customers to interact with hotel and KKM.

By 1130pm I am already in my hotel room for the next 14 days.

Quarantine in KL 7-21 Nov 2020 Flight

 Stuck in HCMC for 8 months since March 2020 and was excited to step foot on home soil again on 7 Nov.

Dawn view from Landmark 2 beside Landmark 81.

Started 1 month before, joining chat groups (go back Malaysia group), talking to friends who have successfully return to KL, get hold of Malaysia Airline rep in HCMC. Finally booked a one way ticket to KL for 7 Nov.

My cat shared me a list for premium package for quarantine hotels, tried PJ HIlton fully booked, HIlton Puchong fully booked, finally Marriott Putrajaya!

Wrapping up and delegating works 1 weeks before leaving. And every night of farewell aprty, then...finally 7 Nov!

Passed keys to my colleague who will take care of the apartment when I am gone.

Flight is 1930, left apartment 1530. Reach 1600. There is hardly anyone in HCMC international airport. Check in was quite fast as not many people. Funny enough most of the people going in to KL are Vietnamese and some Bangladeshis. There were less than 50% Malaysians (Red passport) from the queue.

Passed through the immigration in a breeze after check in but was held up by custom officer as I was carrying some cash. Luckily I had just around the limit USD5k which was allowed by Vietnamese custom. (Not the normal USD 10k allowed in most passports)

Most of the shops in the airport were closed except for a sandwich shop which was selling coffee and some bread. Had a sandwich and coffee to kill time as I was early. I allowed myself 3 hours prior to departure time to the normal 2 hours in anticipation of the queue and extra COVID paperwork which was not much on Vietnam's end.

Flight took off on time 1930 and reached KLIA 2200 local time (took less than 2 hours which was the time required to fly from HCMC to Hanoi)

Touched down KLIA.. the feeling of excitement to be back home after 8 months was overwhelming...

To be continued...