Melanie Fischer

Sunday at noon we were scheduled to finally be released from quarantine. That morning all of our Shanghai Green Codes – that allow us to enter the airport – had turned Red. After a number of frantic messages on WeChat, the app that is used here for everything, we were assured it would turn back to Green in the next couple hours.

At 10am, I was chatting on the phone and trying to finish the above painting – before having to pack the painting into the bottom of one of my bags -when the haz-matters came to our door and said we needed to get out NOW. We frantically started throwing the rest of our stuff into our bags. We dragged our eight humungous bags out into the hallway and were waiting for the Michael/Boyle family before loading everything into the elevators. Then another haz-matter showed up and said we couldn’t go until noon. We left our bags where they were and we hung out in groups, reconnecting and waiting to be released.

At Noon we dragged all our luggage downstairs and were told to quickly go outside to do our checkout – they wanted us out of the building as quickly as possible. Outside it was bright – sunny and 96 degrees. Walking outside the hotel – which looked post apocalyptic – we realized the hotel pre Covid must have been quite posh with a golden camel out front.

We spend the next hour outside the hotel, trying to deal with paperwork and what happened to the SIM cards we ordered, where was the van that was taking our luggage, and making sure we had all the correct paperwork and green codes on the appropriate apps. Once all was in order minus our Shanghai codes which we were told would turn Green, we were told we had to leave the hotel grounds. They pushed us out to the sidewalk to wait for the airport shuttle bus. We waited out front, gulped our water and tried to crouch in little areas of shade to evade the extreme heat.

Eventually the bus showed up. The next hour was quite a lovely drive, looking out at Shanghai.

When we arrived at the airport we needed to scan our Shanghai Green Codes to enter but our codes were still red. We sat outside, in the 96 degree heat and sweat.

After a little while, the hazmatted guards allowed us to enter just inside the door. Two guards began to go through all our paperwork which showed that we had repeatedly tested negative for Covid and were released from the quarantine hotel. Eight of us, three pieces of official papers from each of us. Two guards. They each needed to check and photograph each of our three official papers. Then each guard needed to repeat the process – asking to rephotograph all eight of us – each of our three papers again. And then a third time. And then a fourth – at which time we sat down. A number of hours had gone by. It seemed like they were just killing time – making it appear they were doing something.

After about three and a half hours one of our codes went Green. We call cheered. Five minutes later, another person’s. Five more minutes another – until all but Leo, the son in the Michael/Boyle Family, had gone Green. Forty five minutes passed. Leo felt terrible. Then Dan started receiving messages saying he had been a close contact and he should not travel. He started to panic. ”If we don’t get through security quickly – we are going to get taken back to quarantine”. He started yelling and trying to push our way through. It didn’t help get Leo in. Security did tell us those with Green codes could go in and get some food and bring it back out. Dan, Celia and Carolyn, did just that. Like a miracle, Dan also returned with beer. Just as we were settling in to eat and passing around a beer, Leo’s Shanghai code went Green. We quickly dropped our drinks – which couldn’t go through security – and ran in. We had long missed our flight but were able to get tickets for one a few hours later.

And from there – things were actually smooth. Short flight to Beijing. Some colleagues waiting to welcome us and Driver Li waiting to take us home.