Quarantine: It’s day 8 of 15, but who’s counting?

It never occurred to me to start a blog at any other point my life. A few weeks ago, I joked with some colleagues in Philadelphia that I had no hobbies I could do while sitting still. That’s true at least if you don’t count reading, and even I, a voracious reader, was not excited about the prospect of sitting and reading for 2 full weeks of self-isolation. I know to some that might sound like the best thing ever, but the thought of that much stillness honestly sent me into a panic! Knowing that I would need to quarantine when we arrived in Seoul gave me a strong desire to start a new project I could work on while home-bound in a small space.

South Korea instituted strict quarantine requirements for all international travelers as of March 19, 2020. When we departed for Seoul, we knew we would have to quarantine in complete isolation for 14 days. And the isolation requirement is serious. Those in quarantine may not leave their residence for any reason except to receive medical treatment, and violations can result in fines of up to $8,000 USD and deportation. The 14 days actually begin the first full day after you arrive in the country. For example, because we arrived on July 31, our quarantine ends at noon on August 14, really the 15th day of our stay. Fortunately, as long-term visa holders we have been allowed to quarantine in our Airbnb apartment in relative comfort. Travelers who are coming for shorter stays and have no residential address are required to quarantine in a government facility at the traveler’s cost.

Taking quarantine requirements seriously seems to have been a major factor in helping South Korea control its coronavirus outbreak. Not only does the country boast only .0008% of COVID cases in the world, but the majority of new cases they now report are imported by foreign visitors. Although anyone identified as having the virus is subject to strict quarantine, as of August 7 only 673 individuals are listed as being in quarantine with an active infection. Also on this date, South Korea reported only 20 new cases of COVID-19 for the entire country, and 11 of those are imported. Of the 11, 5 cases were identified immediately at either a seaport or an airport (Korea Times). Along with a robust centralized response to testing and contact tracing, this screening and quarantine process has enabled quick action in preventing community spread of the virus.

At one airport checkpoint, we were required to install the government’s “Self-Quarantine Safety Protection App” to monitor and report any symptoms each day, and our contact information was provided to the local government for monitoring. This app is one source of much conversation about privacy concerns within South Korea’s coronavirus response system. Every day before 11am and then before 4pm we are required to check in using this app, which also monitors our location. It stays red when it’s time to check in and then turns blue when you’ve submitted your information. The app also provides the option to call the local health authority if you have a question or concern. While the privacy concerns are real and deserve a conversation, it’s also worth noting that for the cost of quarantining those most at risk of transmitting coronavirus, South Korea has been able to re-open businesses, schools, and most other public spaces without a large increase in community spread (at least so far).

• 

• 

• 

For our first few days in Seoul we were a bit on pins and needles, expecting someone from the government to call or to show up at our door any minute, as we had been told this could happen. As it turns out, so far no one has checked in on us directly. However, earlier this week we got a text from our Airbnb host (Han), saying that a government official called him to ask why my phone was at the airport? Luckily, Han reassured the official that we were both in our apartment as required. It turns out I had my phone settings wrong, and I had failed to give permission for the app to monitor my location “Always.” We’re pretty sure this means my location wasn’t closely monitored for as many as 5 days, so maybe there are some holes in the system. However, I fixed the setting and the next day when my phone was sitting still on a table for too long, I got a pop-up message from the app asking me to verify my location. Also, today I forgot and checked in at 4:03pm instead of 4:00, and Han got a chastising message from the health authority. So I guess now I really am being monitored!

We have been pretty bummed not to receive any food supplies from the government, as most of what we read before we arrived suggested that we would get a box of supplies. It’s not that we’ve really needed the food (at least not once we figured out ordering groceries – see Peter’s upcoming post), but we were just really curious about what they would bring!

What someone did drop off outside our door this week was a “hygiene kit” with masks, a thermometer, cleaning spray, and bio-hazard bags for us to collect our trash. And of course – more forms.

The kit included detailed instructions about how to dispose of our trash, a procedure that includes spraying the inside and outside of the bio-hazard bags with the included cleaning solution before putting them in a regular garbage bag to be put out for collection. Unfortunately for us, we have to keep all our trash in our apartment until it can be collected when our quarantine is over. Sure makes us aware of how much waste we generate!

We also had to sign, scan, and send yet another set of forms stating that we agree to the terms of the quarantine.

• 

• 

And that’s pretty much it. We’re happy to report that as of this writing we are half-way through quarantine! The first week was a lot easier than we expected, although as we head into week two we’re starting to get a little restless. We’ve had plenty to keep us busy: blogging (thank goodness for a project!), practicing yoga, talking with family and friends, singing some in-home karaoke, doing language lessons, researching what we can do after next week, and having adventures in ordering groceries, plus sorting out all the other bits and pieces of life you don’t think about until they’re completely changed. Adjusting to a new way of life is never easy, and these 15 days are giving us plenty of time to figure some stuff out “virtually.” One week from the time I’m sitting here typing, we’ll be able to travel freely around Seoul and can get to know our new city at last.