Returning Teachers Experience Tests and Quarantine in Shanghai
by Kitty Li
20 | SLAS TIMES
After the foreigner ban was lifted on September
28, 2020( established on March 28, 2020), returning teachers needed to quarantine for 14 days in a hotel upon arriving in China. Everyone, including Chinese citizens, needs to have a negative result for the nucleic acid test to travel to Mainland China.
Mr. McBroom Before traveling back to China from America, Mr. McBroom faced a challenge for the nucleic acid test.
“ I was required to get a nucleic acid test within a three-day window before the departure of the flight … The test results were sent to the Chinese consulate, which then returned a document authorizing me to get on an airplane. All told, I spent eight hours of combined driving, a great many phone calls and emails, and a few years off the end of my life to get past this check.”
The travel restrictions increased the ticket price to 4,000 USD for Mr. McBroom to travel back to Shanghai.
“ The ticket was purchased through an agent, […] so I didn’ t really have to do much of that. Tickets are much rarer though. Getting the visa was a very big problem that required many steps that could easily cost several months to accomplish. Right after I finally submitted my complete, approved visa application package, China changed the rule that had previously invalidated my existing visa. When that happened, the visa office just returned my application to me and told me I didn’ t need to apply for a visa since I could once again use my old one.”
After arriving in Shanghai, Mr. McBroom faced another challenge: the airplane’ s power was off,
which means that they could not get the luggage for a long time. After that, he and other passengers went through a series of document checks for COVID and immigration, which took about one hour.
A bus took Mr. McBroom and the other passengers to a hotel. He said,“ At the hotel, you are met by individuals who check you in, and instructions on how to live and how to report your daily temperature checks are given. The hotel conditions depend on the amount of money you wish to spend. I would describe my hotel as moderately comfortable. All told, my hotel and food for two weeks cost about 6000 RMB.”
Ms. Samantha
Ms. Samantha had an easier time traveling back to China from Canada.
“ After obtaining all the necessary documents for the visa application, I received it within four days of applying. Since I am Canadian and our healthcare is free, the test was easy to get.”
“ Airfare was very expensive and often, not many available options as far as routes … The flight cost about 5 times more than what they are during peak seasons. The routes were also more complicated.”
After arriving in Shanghai, Ms. Samantha filled out some forms, did a COVID test and blood test.
“ From the time we disembarked the plane to the time I arrived at the hospital, it was about 4 hours.”