On October 16, 2019, we came to our son's house in Chicago. Our grandson was only three years old and needed help with household chores. We could also enjoy the fun of playing with our grandchildren. According to the regulations of the US family visit visa, we should return on April 16, 2020 staying there six months.
On January 23, 2020, before the Spring Festival, Wuhan decided to close the city due to COVID-19, and the United States did not hear anything about COVID-19. But just as Wuhan was about to be unsealed, the number of infections in the United States rapidly increased. The community where we live has also begun to respond, with neighbors purchasing large refrigerators to store food. My son and daughter-in-law started working at home on March 16th. On March 26th, we received a text message notification from Hainan Airlines that the flight scheduled for April 16th would be suspended. We have to handle the visa extension procedures and prepare to stay for a period of time. Hainan Airlines promised us a chance to reschedule. In early May, we were informed that we could take a flight departing from Chicago on May 23rd, with a layover in Toronto, Canada, to Beijing. At that time, the number of infected people in the United States had already exceeded 2 million, and there were continuous reports of our compatriots being infected on planes returning home. My son firmly opposed our departure from the United States at this time.
Three months have passed, and by July, the global pandemic is becoming increasingly severe, with no signs of improvement. We live in Lyle City, about 30 kilometers west of the world's largest O'Hare Airport in Chicago. Normally, we can see planes coming and going just by looking up, but we won't see a single plane for the entire five, six, and seven months. We are beginning to regret our excessive trust in the United States, with worries lingering in our minds, not knowing when we will be able to return home. Looking at the gray swans flying from Canada, I remembered a poem by Liu Ji, the strategist of Zhu Yuanzhang: "The road is far without wings, no strange, I can't fly back
Entering August, I searched the official websites of various airlines and websites that sell airline tickets every day, and found that tickets for connecting flights to third countries must not be purchased. Countries have increased their blockade efforts, and once trapped in a third country, it would be too scary. We found that the flight information on the official website is also unreliable, including Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong, China Eastern Airlines, etc. They estimated that flights would resume in October and started selling tickets in advance. After multiple verifications, we decided not to purchase, and the money was thrown out. It was like a meat bun fighting a dog, with no return.
In September, my son and a friend of his discovered that United Airlines was selling tickets for direct flights from Chicago to Shanghai in November. They decided to buy tickets for November 5th, which were not expensive at around $700 each. Seeing the hope of returning to China, my heart calmed down slightly. Every night while taking a walk in the community, I started to see planes taking off and flying in from Chicago Airport, indicating that O'Hare Airport has been activated.
In October, we started filling out the international version of the epidemic prevention health code every day. After 14 days of persistence, a health code with a small plane appeared, which met the conditions for boarding. Upgrading the mini program periodically requires uploading a negative accounting test certificate within 72 hours and obtaining an accounting (HS) health code before boarding. The original health code for the small aircraft is invalid. We have carefully read the requirements of the Chinese Embassy, which means that the test certificate must be obtained within three days before the boarding date within 72 hours. We only look at the report date and not the collect date, so we are prepared for accounting and testing.
In November, there was no news of direct flights from Chicago to Shanghai, and we were worried that the flights would be cancelled. Fortunately, United Airlines informed me to sign the ticket and change to a flight from Chicago to San Francisco on November 8th, with a stopover in Seoul before flying to Shanghai. It was soon discovered that there was no need to stop in Seoul and I could fly directly to Pudong, which is the most ideal route.
As our worries gradually dissipated, on the morning of October 30th, I saw in bed the notice from the Chinese Embassy in the United States that from midnight on November 6th, passengers taking flights to China must provide a double negative certificate (including nucleic acid testing and IGM antibody testing) within 48 hours (including sampling). We are on the 8th flight, which happens to be the necessary time for execution. It was like a bolt from the blue that left me stunned. I forwarded it to my son, and he replied on WeChat, "It's almost impossible to get the results within 48 hours and then upload them for approval. Be mentally prepared that you can't leave.
Although I am not a believer, the teachings of Buddhism and Taoism often have a significant impact on my thinking. Moreover, as I am currently studying Zhuangzi, I can use the "mindless" tool to forget about any events. Even if I wake up for a while at night, I can still have a second dream. The 48 hour double negative test made it difficult for me to sleep for several nights, and even my favorite nap was waking up after closing my eyes for a while.
My son and daughter-in-law are young and have better brains than us. They believe that starting from midnight on November 6th means reporting a double negative certificate to approve the nucleic acid code. Our flight is on the 8th, and we can follow the old policy of uploading three days in advance. That is, on November 5th, you only need to upload a negative nucleic acid test report to obtain a nucleic acid health code. If you upload on November 6th, you must upload two negative certificates. I also think it should be like this. In this way, the son and daughter-in-law have decided to go to different testing points every day for nucleic acid testing starting from Monday, November 2nd, in order to obtain a 5-day negative certificate.
On November 2nd, we arrived at a relatively distant testing point. Fortunately, there were not many cars in line and we didn't need to get off. The testing personnel inserted the cotton swab stick into the left nostril and rotated it a few times, then rotated it a few times to the right nostril to complete the sampling. My son repeatedly communicated with them and demanded that the report be submitted by Thursday, November 5th. If it's one day earlier or later, we won't be able to board the plane. The other party just said as much as they can do.
On Tuesday morning, November 3rd, I arrived at another inspection point and waited for a while before seeing the car in front of me return. I asked the security personnel who were maintaining order and found out that the 3rd was election day and was on vacation, so I made a wasted trip. After finishing breakfast at home, we rushed to another inspection point. The cars queued for several kilometers, with three lines tied up and moving at a decent speed. The information is pre filled in the car, and samples are also taken in the car when arriving at the destination. When asked about the report date, the reply said it would take four to seven days. If you need it in advance, you can call to try. Thousands of people are testing, is it impossible to take out our samples and provide results in advance?
On Wednesday, November 4th, we will try our luck at the testing point where election day is off. Security guards will command cars to queue up in an orderly manner and collect samples from the individuals being tested at the designated location. We have no confidence in receiving the report the next day, Thursday, November 5th. After returning home for breakfast, our son took us to a nearby private clinic. The first three testing points are all public hospitals and are free of testing fees, while the testing at this small clinic is chargeable but can meet the requirement of obtaining results the next day. The testing cost for both individuals is as high as $250. On Thursday morning, November 5th, I received the electronic test results in my son's email. At noon, I started filling out the international version of the epidemic prevention health code on my phone. The results showed that I had to upload the IGM antibody test report at the same time, which made my heart suddenly cool. My daughter-in-law asked in the Chinese group chat, and someone replied that they could try using WeChat on their computer. She immediately started operating on the computer, and we stood anxiously beside her. The submission was indeed successful, and the approval from the embassy was swift. When I walked from upstairs to downstairs, the epidemic prevention health code program on my phone had already displayed the HS nucleic acid health code. Alright, we've evaded the double negative certification, and now we can board the plane.
Just as we were relaxing, my son heard terrible news from the WeChat group again. Because we were on United Airlines instead of China, the inspectors did not recognize the nucleic acid code on the mobile phone, but only the English version of the inspection report, and recognized that the double negative report was executed at 0:00 on the 6th. The WeChat group said that someone was refused to board the plane by virtue of the nucleic acid health code alone, and could not tell the rigid Americans clearly, so it was unlikely to temporarily ask the embassy staff for help. Therefore, the son decided to go to a private clinic for a double negative test on Friday, November 6th, and requested a report on Saturday, November 7th. We are really worried. Americans attach great importance to the right to rest. Are you willing to report on Saturday?
I heard from my son that it took a lot of time to find a testing point that can provide a test report within 24 hours. This private clinic not far from home can meet the requirements and is willing to provide the report the next day, which is Saturday, the 7th. It meets the requirement of providing a test report within 48 hours, including sampling. IGM antibody testing requires blood sampling, no need to queue, two types of sampling are completed immediately, and the test report was received the next day, on the afternoon of November 7th, for boarding reference, no need to upload. The two individuals spent an additional $400 on two tests, resulting in a total cost of $650, which is approximately the price of another flight ticket to China. The problems that can be solved with money are small problems, and the ones that cannot be solved with money are the big problems. In this way, we have both a nucleic acid health code and double negative written proof materials. My daughter-in-law said she wants to spend the money wisely. She told us that there must be enough materials, so we can rest assured.
In the United States, our phones are enabled for roaming, but only for phone roaming in order to receive SMS verification codes, make bank transfers, install programs, and other matters. During this extraordinary period when returning to China, if mobile phones cannot access the internet anytime and anywhere, it is impossible to display the nucleic acid health code on the phone to the inspectors. When designing roaming, I found that there is a free phone consultation to activate cellular data roaming. Soon both of our phones will be able to access the internet in various parts of the United States through China Telecom. I heard that I need to fill out the health declaration mini program 14 days before entering the country. If I submit it too early and haven't arrived in Pudong yet, it will disappear. My son found that he could first fill in the information and submit it to generate a QR code, and then modify the start and end time of the 14 day flight in San Francisco or after boarding in San Francisco before submitting again. The regenerated QR code will not disappear when it arrives in Shanghai. The battery of the mobile phone should be saved, or it should be ensured that the power bank can charge. If there is no battery, the phone cannot display QR codes or operate other required mini programs on the phone, which would be troublesome. However, there are phone charging ports under the screens in front of seats on United Airlines planes, which can be considered a small surprise.
On November 8th at 3 am, we woke up with the simplest luggage and departed for the airport at 4 am. We operated self-service at the ticket checking machine and were not allowed to obtain boarding passes. A helper came and asked to see the test report. I didn't show her the nucleic acid health code, but instead took out the double negative text report. After checking the date and time of sampling and reporting, she gave us a total of four boarding passes for boarding at the Chicago and San Francisco airports, which completely reassured us.
Before leaving, our daughter-in-law instructed us to pay special attention to protection on domestic flights from Chicago to San Francisco in the United States. She gave us various types of masks, gloves, disinfectant hand sanitizer, alcohol wipes, and a protective hat with eye covers on the front. No matter how careful we are, we haven't stood up from our seats or gone to a toilet for four hours.
The plane landed on time at San Francisco Airport, and the two old of us found the boarding gate for Pudong and completed the declaration time update for the entry health procedures. The economy class of the Boeing 777-300ER has ten seats in each row, filled to capacity, with an estimated capacity of over 400 passengers. Everyone must undergo nucleic acid testing or double negative certification before boarding, greatly reducing the probability of infection.
On the afternoon of November 9th, after landing in Pudong, we were not allowed to leave the cabin immediately. Chinese border epidemic prevention personnel wearing protective clothing boarded the plane for inspection and informed us that we must have an entry health QR code to disembark. Due to the fact that we had already filled out and generated a QR code on our mobile phones, we quickly gave up the cabin. Anyone who does not have a QR health code must scan it and fill it out and submit it on the plane before disembarking.
After leaving the plane, we followed the crowd, signed a commitment letter agreeing to nucleic acid testing, took nucleic acid samples in sequence, processed entry procedures, and then went to the reception points in Anhui, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu. We scanned the QR code to fill in the information and selected the quarantine time in Shanghai. Personnel from these three neighboring provinces can choose the 3+11 mode, which means they will be quarantined in Shanghai for 3 days and then quarantined in their own city for another 11 days.
At the waiting area, all passports were handed in, and some people speculated that it was a measure taken to prevent someone from escaping. The car had been driving for a long time at night, and I used my mobile map to locate it. I found that it had been pulled to a hotel near Hongqiao Airport, which belongs to Qingpu District. The receptionist wearing full protective clothing disinfected our luggage and went to bed after midnight.
The accommodation fee for quarantine hotels in Shanghai is ¥ 360 per day, and the meal fee is ¥ 90 per person per day, totaling ¥1620. During the quarantine period in Shanghai, a quarantine WeChat group was established, and the WeChat names of the quarantined individuals were changed to room numbers. Any problems were resolved in the group. The next day, the person in charge of the quarantine point sent a QR code in the group to book a transportation bus to Kunshan. The mini program required me to fill in personal information and choose my hotel as the departure point. After filling it out, I submitted it. Soon, I received a call from the contact person in Xuzhou at the Kunshan transfer point, inquiring about our situation and informing us that we would depart from Kunshan on the 12th and head straight to Xuzhou without stopping for eight hours. Everyone would wear diapers.
On November 12th at 8 o'clock, two large cars with Suzhou license plates arrived. The service personnel wearing protective clothing gave us gloves and masks, and put the target city sign on our arms, indicating that we were heading to a certain city in Jiangsu. When we arrived at the transfer point in Kunshan, we entered a hall with a range in each of the 13 cities in Jiangsu. The service staff in Xuzhou picked us up and asked us to fetch some dry food and water ourselves. When they were all there, we took our own diapers and put them on in the toilet.
There are a total of 11 companions on the bus to Xuzhou. We don't know each other, don't talk to each other, and don't know which district or county they are from in Xuzhou. Through map positioning, I know that from Jiangnan to Jiangbei, passing through the Sutong Yangtze River Bridge. The driving speed is very fast, it's not eight hours, but six hours to reach Pantang Ramp in Xuzhou. After getting off the car, we saw several 120 ambulances. We went to 120 in Quanshan District and were quickly taken to the Beike Hotel, a centralized quarantine medical observation point in the district.
Next to the quarantine point is a subway construction site, covered in dust. After completing the handover procedures, we went up to the second floor without an elevator. The corridor was covered with a layer of plastic sheeting, and the luggage rollers were not easy to walk on. Entering the room is even more infuriating, as it is a typical cramped room with dust covering the floor and tabletop, making us extremely angry. Fortunately, the diaper was still clean. The old woman, my wife, squatted down and used it to dip in water to clean the floor, then wiped it everywhere with a cloth. The old man (me) complained to the girl on the switchboard when he saw the phone. After cleaning it up, it looks like it's still newly renovated. Although the sparrow is small, its five dirty parts are complete, including television, internet, lighting fixtures, hot water, clothes hangers, etc. Sorry, don't bother yourself anymore. It's only 11 days anyway, and the cost is probably not high. Stay calm and peaceful.
There is a QR code for Xuzhou Rural Commercial Bank behind the door of the room. After scanning with your phone, you can pay for the quarantine fee of ¥ 100 per day. The meal fee is ¥ 50 per person per day, and we will pay a total of 2200 yuan for eleven days. The cost information from Nanjing is that the quarantine fee for one person for 11 days is ¥ 4070, and the expenses there are higher.
On November 15th, a nurse knocked on the door and requested a nucleic acid test sample. This time, she requested payment of ¥ 120 per person. On November 21st, Ms. Wu from Nanjing came to WeChat to say that one of her neighbors is still in the United States and heard that she has returned to China. She inquired about a hospital that can provide a double negative certificate within 24 hours. Ms. Wu asked her son to inform her neighbor that the neighbor had a ticket for the 22nd and obtained a double negative certificate that met the regulations. However, she told Ms. Wu that the flight from San Francisco to Pudong on the 22nd had suddenly been cancelled. After checking on the United Airlines app, I received confirmation that this is not due to the circuit breaker mechanism of Chinese civil aviation, but rather due to changes in US government policies. Due to the sudden incident, many passengers who had already obtained double negative certificates could only sigh at the plane. What was particularly painful were those passengers who had already arrived in San Francisco from distant states with double negative certificates. It was too terrifying. Fortunately, the flight forecast from San Francisco to Pudong on the 25th was on time, which is really worrying for our compatriots who are about to return home.
On November 22nd, another nucleic acid testing sample was taken, and each person spent ¥ 120. On the morning of the 23rd, we were notified by phone to go downstairs at 9 o'clock to complete the procedures for lifting quarantine. We also went to the market to buy some meat and vegetables, and entered our house at 10 o'clock. The community neighborhood committee called later and requested that we accept the next 14 days of health management. I have read the "Notice on Health Management after Release from Isolation", which roughly states that one should proactively report their health status to the community; Reduce outings and avoid taking public transportation; Not organizing or participating in meetings, dinners, etc; Not engaged in offline teaching activities; Do not enter dance halls, bathrooms, cinemas, internet cafes, etc; Cooperate with nucleic acid testing on the 3rd and 14th days; Check body temperature daily and report any abnormalities to the community or unit. Finally, black words remind: If you violate the relevant epidemic prevention and control regulations, causing the spread of the COVID-19, you will bear the corresponding legal responsibility.
The difficulty of returning home is not over yet, but there is no one to supervise us anymore. We have started our normal activities and cannot follow all the notifications. Excessive epidemic prevention is annoying!
