After 2 years of virtually no traveling (due to Covid and my job situation) I finally went home to the States for Christmas. My time at home was nice and a well needed relaxing break from my hectic life back in Seoul. But before I headed off back home to enjoy my holiday, omicron decided to crop its' nasty head up, after what seemed like a period of finally getting back to some normalcy.
Due to the limited information and understandable concern around the new variant, South Korea revoked its quarantine exemption policies for all entrants; Korean national or not, vaccinated or un-vaxxed. This meant all incoming entrants to the country would be required to quarantine for 10 days. Disappointed as I was, because I'm considered a long-term resident in the country, I was at least relieved I would be able to quarantine at my apartment, rather than spend close to $1500 to quarantine at a government facility.
Overall while there were many bouts of boredom, I do understand the Korean government's decision to reinforce this policy. The whole process throughout quarantine was very straightforward and systematic.
Day 0-Arrival back to Korea
I arrived back to Korea at 3:30 pm on Thursday December 30th. Compared to the process of coming back through immigration in Chicago, Incheon's immigration process was 10 times quicker and much more organized. After getting off the plane, I walked to the border control center. First, arrivals had to wait in a line to present their quarantine agreement and health screening documents (provided to us on the plane), along with their negative PCR test and passport. When called up, I presented these documents to the officer before also presenting my vaccine status. Because I was vaccinated in Korea, the officer informed me that I was allowed to take public transit back to my apartment. He placed a sticker on my passport that stated this, before telling me I needed to get PCR tested again within 1 day.
Then, I was moved along to the next station, where the officer checked my visa status, informed me I was doing home quarantine, and gave me a document on the quarantine procedures. Another sheet told me the app I needed to download to report my symptoms to the public health officer every day.
After that was the final station before I was welcomed into the country. I presented my passport and ARC to the officer before being fingerprinted and having my picture taken for verification. All of this took under 10 minutes. Talk about efficiency!
Because I had no checked bags, I walked through customs and came out the main gates into the arrivals section of the airport. More employees in PPE were waiting to check arrivals' vaccine status on their passport. I gave my passport to one employee before walking down to take the subway home. Before 'tapping in' to go down to the subway, one more employee checked my passport to see if I was allowed to take it before finally I boarded the subway back to Seoul.
During my subway ride home, an officer from my local health office called me to confirm all my information, told me the rules about quarantine, and informed me that someone would be visiting my place within the next few days to give me a bag with things needed for quarantine. After about 2 hours of subway-ing, I finally made it back to my neighborhood. I quickly dropped off my stuff back at home, and headed to get tested. It was about 6 at night and the line wasn't too long. It took about 20 minutes of waiting for me to get tested. Then, the dreaded walk back to my apartment, realizing this would be the last frigid night I'd trek through...for 11 days.
Day 1-9
The rest of the days of quarantine were quite mundane and boring to say the least. I received my quarantine goodies, including KF-94 masks, thermometer stickers (to measure my temperature), disinfectant, hand spray, and a special trash bag the day after my arrival. But each day felt like the one before as I attempted to entertain myself in any way I could. This meant lots of cooking, cleaning, watching Youtube, coloring, studying, etc.
After downloading the app, I was required to report whether I had any Covid symptoms twice a day. This app also required location to be turned on so the health officer in charge of my quarantine could make sure that I was not leaving my apartment. Additionally, each morning around 10:30, I'd receive an automated call that would also check for Covid symptoms. I was required to verify my name as well as answer 'yes' or 'no' to all the questions (Do you have a fever? Do you have a sore throat? etc).
On day 7, I received a message from the health office, stating that the next day I would need to go out and get another Covid test prior to my release from quarantine. I needed to report in the app the time I was leaving to go get my test, as well as how I was getting there (walking, quarantine taxi, or car. No public transport was allowed).
Day 8
On day 8, I was permitted to go out briefly to do my Covid test that would allow me to be released from quarantine (2 days later ._.) and boy, did I enjoy the 30 minutes that I was allowed to walk outside. Fortunately, there was no line at the testing center near my place and I was in and out very quickly. They still do the deep nasal swab test here in Korea, and it never gets any easier, no matter how many times I've done it.
I got my results quickly after taking the test. I took the test at 11 am and got my results by 6:30 pm the same day; probably the fastest I've ever gotten them in Korea! (for a PCR test). Even though my results were negative, I was still required to stay in quarantine for another day and a half.
Day 10
On the last day (finally!!!!) I got a text message from the local district health office, saying that if I had received a negative result (which I had) I was free from quarantine at 12 pm. I could then delete the app and throw away the trash I had accumulated over the past 10 days. I counted down the minutes once 11:30 struck and right when my clock turned 12, I swiftly deleted the app and exited my apartment. The fine dust was awful outside but I couldn't care less. I had never been happier to put up with air pollution. I was free!!!!
I received a final call around 12:30 from the district health office. The woman on the phone thanked me for my cooperation and told me that even though quarantine must've been difficult, I got through it well.
Quarantine wasn't as awful as I had expected it to be, yet I wouldn't want to do it again. Through the many bouts of boredom, hours watching Netflix, sleeping, studying Korean, cleaning, and cooking, I'm not sure I'm able to say I gained anything from this experience. However, I suppose the only nice thing about it was having the time to be able to adjust back to the time zone and to really really spend time only focusing on myself. That being said, I am so thrilled to be out and finally start this new year, 2022, here in Seoul.
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