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Coronavirus pandemic
Hong KongHealth & Environment

Penny’s Bay diary: a triumphant escape tempered by a lengthy wait for a shuttle to ‘freedom’ – well, two more weeks of quarantine

  • Our managing editor finds it’s ‘hurry up and wait’ as departure day arrives and WhatsApp messages from staff have him worrying he’ll miss his shuttle
  • What will he miss about government quarantine? Not much, though he’ll fondly remember the love-hotel bedsheets with huge pink hearts

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Penny’s Bay guests make their way to their waiting shuttles – and freedom. Photo: Brian Rhoads
Brian Rhoads
South China Morning Post managing editor Brian Rhoads recently flew home to the United States to attend a memorial service for his late father. After he had already left, the Hong Kong government moved the US into a new high-risk category, meaning he will spend the first of his three weeks of quarantine at the government’s Penny’s Bay facility. Over the past seven days, he has recounted his experience. Below is his final entry. You can read about his penultimate day here.
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Day 8. Liberation Day. I really want to say it’s Richie Havens singing Freedom somewhere in the back of my head, but – oh no – it’s George Michael.

After a week of isolation in this effective but grim Hong Kong internment centre, budding excitement at finally escaping the Alcatraz of quarantine is quickly and soundly defeated by slow but effective bureaucracy.

“Please get prepared by 10.00am, you will be further noticed once the transportation is ready. Please wait in the room for pick up,” says the first of a list of instructions from the Penny’s Bay WhatsApp line.

Ugh. I packed overnight. I even woke up early and got ready. Now, it’s all too familiar of the US military that I grew up around: “Hurry up and wait. Smoke’em if you got’em.”

(Public service reminder: Penny’s Bay is a non-smoking facility.)

Our managing editor’s view as he takes his first step outside his Penny’s Bay door since a brief excursion to vote on Sunday. Photo: Brian Rhoads
Our managing editor’s view as he takes his first step outside his Penny’s Bay door since a brief excursion to vote on Sunday. Photo: Brian Rhoads
On such an important day, you might have thought they would message with details about my parole time and logistics. But perhaps the authorities are overwhelmed with the influx of so many other passengers from high-risk countries headed for a compulsory stay at the government centre as the city fights to keep the coronavirus’ surging Omicron variant out.
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Penny’s Bay diary: a stint in Hong Kong quarantine
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