Consolidated "China arrivals delays and A H1N1 flu procedures & quarantine" thread
We arrived yesterday at PVG / Shanghai Pudong International Airport on AA from ORD. Aircraft from America, including Canada, at elast, were held at the gate while we were issued health forms (obviously recyucled from the last Avian Flu outbreak, as they asked us if we had had contact with birds in the past seven days, if we had been exposed to anyone with bird flu, and asked if we had symptoms including "snivel" .)
After filling them out, including a local contact address and telephone number in China, a team of six health "police" boarded in full garb - what appeared to be Tyvel-like bunny suits, full face covering including large visors makeing sealed contact with the face covering. Shades of CBW! (Chemical Biological Warfare, in the US Armed Forces speak.)
They marched to the cockpit, unsheathed their "rocket pistol" guns and began processing everyone with a "close your eyes!" and "zapping us in the forehead with what appeared to be several parallel ruby red laser rays that emasured our temperature. The temrpature was recorded on our health forms. Two passengers were removed from the aircraft - one asssumes they were OK, but reegistered higher temps than 38C, but we were detained whilst they ckecked.
After an hour or so - and I heard of some flights being kept boarded for as long as three hours - we traveled down a long hall to a queue at Quarantine. Here our health forms were reviewed, and then we passed on to Immigration ,baggage carousels (followed by the HSBC ATM, anice thing to have) and Customs (with a VIP, Goods to Declare and Nothing to Delcare exits.)
If you have a connection or meeting this can blow your plans, especially if someneo on your flight is measured with a fever. If that person has A H1N1 symptoms, you can have happen to you what has happened to a number of others - quarantine detention in a hotel for seven days.
China is concerned that 1.3 billion people, many of whom travel to / from the provinces, can provide a ripe field for this flu - and they have had experinecw ith aviakn flu (not to mention the 2003 SARS epidemic) and are acting, as they see it, preventively. (And, it was precisely an A H1N1 variety that made a midl apeparance Spring 1918, only to roar back Winter of 1918 as the "Spanish" flu - which seems to turn the immune system agains one, meaning those with stronger immune systems, such as healthy young people, are the most severely affected. The "Spanish" flu, occurring at a time without antivirals and no vaccines, killed an estimated fifty to one hundred MILLION people in the ensuing year and a half.
The Chinese authorities, as mentioned, see themselves as safeguarding the Chinese people's health and acting preventively - detaining those coming from flu-infected countries and manifesting symptoms is not of any concern to them, and they will do so, as we see.
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a team of six health "police" boarded in full garb - what appeared to be Tyvel-like bunny suits, full face covering including large visors makeing sealed contact with the face covering.
They marched to the cockpit, unsheathed their "rocket pistol" guns and began processing everyone with a "close your eyes!" and "zapping us in the forehead with what appeared to be several parallel ruby red laser rays that emasured our temperature.
I don't blame them, I wish we do the same in Canada. A single infected person can spread the flu so fast as it is the case of a doctor in HK in SARS.
I just wish Swine flu is contained by middle June when my trip to China takes place and these drastic measures can stopped. Otherwise I may have to cancel my trip!
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We are going to PVG on Saturday, arriving on Sunday. Sounds like the Chinese are still behind the times and have not adjusted their procedures to reality.
Not happy about a 1-3 hour delay after a 14 hour flight.
Did you experience anything regarding special treatment based on nationality or passport? IE, did they treat Mexicans the same as Canadians as Americans?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Queen438
I don't blame them, I wish we do the same in Canada. A single infected person can spread the flu so fast as it is the case of a doctor in HK in SARS.
I just wish Swine flu is contained by middle June when my trip to China takes place and these drastic measures can stopped. Otherwise I may have to cancel my trip!
Seriously, what is the worst that can happen? That one contracts this dreaded disease and dies? That's the extent of it, right? Sounds like pretty limited liability to me. I'll take my chances.
SHANGHAI hotels are being told to begin taking the temperature of guests from China and any other countries reporting swine flu before they are allowed to check in.
Any guest who registers a temperature above 38 degrees Celsius either at check-in or during his or her stay will be reported to the local center for disease control and taken to a designated fever hospital to be checked for swine flu.
I don't mind their procedures, except it is simply not very effective. They mostly focus their efforts on US airlines, doing the extended checks, while ignoring other flights. For example, there are a lot of connecting passengers coming from US on Japanese and Korean airlines, but they don't go through this type of rigorous check. This type of strategy gives people a false sense of security, yet it is actually full of holes.
The flu hasn't spread in China. This is not because they are doing a wonderful job at the airport, but mostly becasue this flu is not very potent and hasn't affected a lot of people abroad.
They probably can be more effective by spending more money and energy to educate people in China so they don't spit as much on street and wear mask if they have flu.
We checked in at the Okura Garden Hotel in Shanghai May 24, the Hilton Shanghai today. Okura Garden, no forms, no temperature, no nothing other than the usual passport copying and registration; Hilton, ditto plus fill out health form, no big deal.
I'm trying to keep my cool until my outbound flight Sunday.
Other than that, having a super time in China - off to visit Suzhou for the day tomorrow. (Thanks for the good wishes!)
Quote:
Originally Posted by anacapamalibu
That's Hot!
SHANGHAI hotels are being told to begin taking the temperature of guests from China and any other countries reporting swine flu before they are allowed to check in.
Any guest who registers a temperature above 38 degrees Celsius either at check-in or during his or her stay will be reported to the local center for disease control and taken to a designated fever hospital to be checked for swine flu.
It certainly is in the UK. About 3 weeks ago the gist of the story was that we were all going to die. Then the papers decided to report on our MP's rather novel approach to claiming expenses, with not another mention of swine fever since - from which I've concluded I'm not going to die.
Perhaps if China Daily could unearth a few stories about Officials misusing public funds then the risk of H1N1 could disappear in China too!
China quarantines U.S. school group over flu concerns
....The Chinese government has confined 21 students and three teachers to their hotel rooms in Kaili, China, because a passenger on their plane to China was suspected of having swine flu, or H1N1, said Vicky Temple, director of communications for the Barrie School in Silver Spring, Maryland....
I am traveling on the 12:30 IAD-PEK today.. I look at the Washington Post and see this story about how China is aggressively quarantining passengers. Can anyone please advise about their experience.
This is the first I've really read about this happening so extensively. Frankly I would have just postponed the trip had I know. Any advice or experience is very much appreciated as I am rather concerned.
From what I have read China has stopped quarantines based solely on
travelers with a Mexico passport or stamp in passport with recent
travel to Mexico.
The standard procedure it temperature checks on all passengers prior
to deboarding. If you have temp above a certain # (maybe 98.9) then
you are subject to further inspection and possible quarantine.
If you check any box... such as cough, headache, etc you will be subject
to further inspection and possible quarantine.
In the event a passenger on your flight is later determined to have H1N1
if you were seated in the vicinity of that passenger you may be quarantined
for 7 days. The authorities will find you, as all foreigners are required to register their location within 24 hours of arrival...such as a hotel, private
residence etc.
Odds are pretty low of getting quarantined if you don't exhibit any signs
of illness prior to departure. But nonetheless its remotely possible
to get stuck there for awhile just out of bad luck.
Last edited by anacapamalibu; May 29, 09 at 2:18 pm.
I just read in today's paper that a group of students and teachers were quarantined in China because of the H1N1 flu.
Just to respond. I am safely at my hotel, but was a little concerned with reason. They boarded the plane and rather quickly and efficently used lazer devices aimed at our foreheads to determine our temperature. There was apparently someone on the plane that they detained. I don't think he had a temperature (as that's what the FA said)...either way, we went through multiple detection points to get out.
Everyone was very orderly, and nothing that was scary really...other than the concern you might get hauled off. If you are sick or getting sick I would *absolutely* not travel.
.) 
Students & teachers quarantined
