I tested positive for Covid-19 at end of February 2022 so I went to see a doctor and I was assessed to have mild symptoms (Protocol 2). My father, whom I was living with, had underlying health problems so I requested to quarantine in a community care facility.
There wasn’t much information about community care facility online. All I could find were some old newspaper articles about the quarantine centre in Expo so I thought that’s where I would be going.
I was told that someone will contact me within 24-48 hours to coordinate my transfer, but I actually got a call that very evening. A kind Indian lady told me that a driver would pick me up the next day between 9am – 12pm.
I packed my bags and the driver picked me up at 9.15am the next day in a taxi. He was wearing personal protection equipment and N95 mask, all the 4 windows were wind down as per protocol.
I ended up being quarantined in Furama Riverfront Hotel, sharing a room with another lady who tested positive around the same time as myself.
The taxi driver dropped me off at the entrance of Furama Riverfront Hotel. A staff in full PPE attire reminded me to do TraceTogether check-in and brought me to the “reception”. The whole reception hall was covered with thick plastic sheets, with a few dismal chairs by the lobby.
The staff checked my name, gave me two sheets of paper that states the rules during my stay. I was also given 2 sets of ART test kits, I was to test myself on the 4th and 5th day.
Another staff in full PPE attire brought me to my room. I think the whole floor or maybe the whole hotel has been converted into Community Care Facility. There was a chair outside each room, where the meals would be placed three times a day.
I was pleasantly surprised by how spacious the room was. The room comes with an attached bathroom with a bathrobe and there’s even a television in the room.
The two single beds were pushed to the far corners of the room, one next to the toilet and the other next to the window sills. There was even a window, through which I could down to the barren swimming pool downstairs.
On each bed, there was a large white towel, ample toiletries, white plastic bags to put our trash as well as laundry bags. There was also a packet of chocolate chip cookies and a few sachets of milo.
The hotel serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, which were placed on the chair outside our door. We were to throw all trash into the white plastic bags provided, tie them up securely and place them outside the door.
Except for not able to go anywhere outside our room, it was an otherwise pleasant experience. My roommate was a mild-mannered lady and we talked occasionally. We shared some of our food and she didn’t snore so I was able to have good sleep.
If you contract Covid-19 with mild symptoms, do consider serving quarantine at a Community Care Facility. In fact, I don’t even mind doing it again. I brought my laptop and managed to get quite a bit of writing done. It’s almost like a retreat of sorts. Good for some serious soul-searching.
