Jess Moses @freshlysnapped and freshlysnapped.com is a photographer from the UK. She co-founded a successful business in Thailand and now lives and works in Melbourne. She is doubled jabbed. Here’s what we found out from Jess’ experience in hotel quarantine.
The quarantine hotels:
A 14 day supervised quarantine in a hotel is mandatory on arrival in Australia.
You have no choice of hotel. As soon as you exit the plane, the police escort you to a coach and you are dropped at your designated hotel. There are police hotels and health hotels. Health hotels have bigger rooms with balconies, but are saved for Covid patients or people with a health condition.
You have no idea where you are going until you arrive.
Hotel quarantine costs $3000 for a single adult.
From entering your room, there is no human contact apart from with the Covid nurses who come to do your Covid test 3 times during the two weeks.
The room:
Rule number 1, you are not allowed to leave your room at all during quarantine.
A typical room may have a double bed, two chairs and a desk, two lounge chairs, an ensuite and a TV. The windows don’t open.
The rules:
The guards are in charge of dropping off food and any deliveries.
You hear a knock on the door and have to wait thirty seconds before opening the door in a mask. If you hear another door opening, you can’t open yours until theirs is closed.
Rubbish is allowed to leave the room. You put it in a clear, tied up bag and leave outside for collection.
None of the contents of the rooms can be removed once you are in for the entire 14 days. For example, if you ask for chairs to go to create space to exercise, they won’t allow it.
This means the hotel doesn’t do your laundry. Or replace cups and saucers. You need to get dishwashing liquid and wash mugs in your sink. Plus, you wash your clothes in the bath with detergent they send in.
On day 6, you get a drop of fresh linen – towels and bedding. The old sheets and towels need to remain in your room though.
Food:
Breakfast comes in an airplane food tray. A typical spread is banana bread, milk, yoghurt, sliced grapefruit.
The food isn’t always great, or edible, especially if you have dietary restrictions. Supplement, by ordering a supermarket delivery to stock up on healthy food. It’s also worth stocking up on water, as there’s often not enough.
You can use Uber eats or the equivalent.
Tips:
Create a daily routine and timetable to stay healthy with set goals, like mediation sessions. Stay busy.
Hire exercise equipment. For example, you can hire a spinning bike and yoga mat from @bensonqbikesydney.
Join a facebook quarantine group which shares advice on your destination to pick up tips.
Take Vitamin D supplements as you will be indoors for two weeks.
Finally, a surprise must have is lip balm – as two weeks of air-con with no open window really dries your lips.
Jess:
Jess studied Sociology at the University of Nottingham then joined the Deliciously Ella team in London for two years as the brand’s Digital Media and Events Manager. Then Jess moved to Thailand and co-created a successful smoothie bowl business in Phuket – NanaBowls. NanaBowls evolved into a multi-award winning, health focussed, international company. Next, Jess decided to move to Melbourne to take on a new challenge starting her own photography agency, which is focused on food. She also leads social media campaigns, writes copy and creates content for multiple global health and food brands.