The PCR test given in the government bus at day 12 to exit quarantine was extremely painful. Instead of gently taking a sample like most hospitals do, the technician jabbed the sample stick into my sinus as far as it would go. There were 3 other people who saw this procedure and it seemed quite normal to them.
My sinus quit hurting about 30 minutes later after taking some ibuprofen. I didn’t have a nosebleed.
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That’s why I’ll never live in China. I won’t travel there if that is the requirement.
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The deeper the better. You really need to get all the way to the back to get a decent swab. If you don’t, you run the very high risk of a bogus test.
I tried doing it myself and couldn’t. Really need someone else to help.
@Aikaili thanks for sharing your experiences. Quick question: Were you able to leave at 12:01 a.m. on the 15th day after 14 full days of quarantine?
I certainly did! I had 4 heavy bags that I need to carry upstairs to my apartment and I wanted to avoid my gossipy neighbors.
It was really strange leaving the quarantine hotel. Everything in the hallways was covered with sheets and everyone had the same little tables outside for dropping off food. It is not normal for hotels to be managing confined people.
There was only one person at the front desk to check me out.
Around day 11, I was feeling nutty. Solitary confinement is not good for people. It has taken me a few days to adjust.
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I’ve yet to hear of a place that didn’t allow this, and the only people I know who didn’t choose to do it had small children they didn’t want to wake up at that hour.
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When the Taipei government person called me that day, I asked if I could leave after midnight just to be certain.
If I had small children, I would wait until the morning. I have a Taiwanese friend in Tainan quarantine now with two small children. They just had the PCR test. They said test was painful and the people were rude. I’m glad they are past that, and getting closer to being released.
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There is an article in the news about a building in Yonghe that is put in quarantine. Everybody in the building must either stay home or at a quarantine hotel.
The part I am upset about is the fact that the government is paying for their hotels and food…but not ours.
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I had the same experience at day 11.
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I wonder if it is really quarantine hotels of their choosing or the government quarantine facilities. I had the option of paying 2000NT per night and go to the government chosen facility. The idea of showing up at the airport and not knowing where I’d be taken is too much for me. Going to the PCR test bus without knowing where, when or how freaked me out.
I just booked my husband’s hotel in September. He says he is ready… He’s a retired submariner so he should be fine. Especially since it is nearby and I’ll take him care packages.
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Every day for breakfast I got soy milk, and every lunch and dinner just came with “soup”…no real drinks. I had someone go to Costco and bring me a bunch of stuff, and we ended up eating from Uber on average twice a day…we threw out so much food.
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I am arriving to Taiwan this week, flying from the UK so will be staying at government facilities. Pretty scared and unsure what to expect. Two weeks is rather a long time…
Get a yoga mat, yoga blocks, an exercise band, an instant pot (or other all-in-one cooking vessel), some sort of craft project, foodpanda pro and ubereats pass. I wouldn’t recommend traveling light for your adventure, because you need to keep yourself entertained for a long time without going anywhere. Bring everything you think you’ll need for two weeks. That being said, if you’re in any major city, you can probably get Carrefour, etc. delivered so any groceries can be acquired upon arrival. The yoga mat and blocks can double as seating if you end up in a microscopic room that is only large enough for a bed and half a meter by two meters of floor space (no couch) or they can serve as boosters if the chair or desk heights don’t work with your body height.
As I mentioned above (or maybe in a different thread?) what you eat your food off of and with affects how you perceive the taste and satisfaction of your meal. Bring a real bowl, a real plate, a real ceramic mug and a hefty fork and spoon. Use them. You probably want to bring a sponge and a small bottle of dish soap (or get a dish soap bar) (ask the hotel if they’ll provide any of these. Supposedly with quarantine rules for hotels, everything “must” be disposable, but I can’t find any laws stating what “must be done” by hotels. From posts above, it sounds like most hotels say “it’s the rules” when it isn’t.)
You should probably buy a physical book or two. Right up with craft projects. Staring at your computer screen as your only form of entertainment for two weeks is really bad for your eyes.
Oh, and make sure you have a window. Don’t be crazy.
加油💪
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If only i could fit an instant pot in my luggage…
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I haven’t heard any bad stories other than it was cold at one of the xindian facilities last winter. One benefit is the government is covering the cost.
I did bring a small noodle pot. They had a decent coffee pot and tea selection. They brought more supplies when requested.
Yeah, I checked Costco and they want 5,000+ NT for the one that’s under US100 on the InstantPot website (and like 75 on Amazon). No market for pressure cookers here?
It’s probably cold in all the facilities year-round. Either that or every room is a mold-pit. Not sure which is worse – blue lips and toes and nonstop shivering or a two-week long asthma attack. I’ll add “your best arctic camping base layers” to the list of things you should bring to quarantine. And maybe a nice packable/travel blanket.
Jerks. Either you pay for everyone or you pay for no one!
I just got back from a walk and I’d settle for arctic right now! Based on the photos that I’ve seen from the government facilities, it seems to be hit or miss.
I hope we can get back to home quarantine. The added testing is good as I saw Taiwanese getting on the plane at SFO who said they didn’t have their PCR test results. If they let people take their own sample with them watching, that would be much kinder and reduce the risk to the technicians in the busses.
Taiwan isn’t known for creative thinking so it will probably be forced hotel quarantine for several months. I believe this because people criticize reporters personally for asking questions they don’t like during the 2pm briefing.
There is probably some 關係 behind the forced subsidizing of hotels and phone rentals.
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Probably is, but I like to think that it’s a way to deter people to not travel. Quarantining in a hotel vs at home is like night and day.
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It’s definitely a deterrent to return. I’d hope they’d just say that if it is the case. I do think they believe all citizens and residents cannot be trusted to stay in quarantine. Unfortunately, a few idiots have shown they won’t follow the rules with disastrous results. Taiwan still has some old views that are Chinese style in terms of personal freedoms.
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