‘The COVID-19 Crisis’

Kate and I booked our tickets with United Airways in early February unaware that the ‘Covid-19' crisis would create so much devastation so quickly. We were looking forward to seeing Kate's family again in Iowa and when we left on March 1 st only one death had occurred from Coronavirus in the US and one death in Australia while there were also nine positive cases from the ‘Diamond Princess' cruise ship.

By the time we landed in America, the New York Governor  Andrew Cuomo  announced the state's first reported case of COVID-19: a woman in her late 30s, who apparently contracted the virus while traveling in Iran and was self-isolating at home, in New York City. Nobody seemed too concerned about the ‘Virus' at LA and Denver Airports and very few people, besides us, were wearing masks. However, by the very next day there were 100 reported cases of Coronavirus in the US.

As we came to the end of the first week staying with Kate's sister Pat and her husband Ken, the number of reportable cases had risen dramatically in the US when much more testing was made available.  As a result of this, most large gatherings became progressively cancelled and a huge number of Educational Centres of schools and Universities began to close and resort to ‘on-line' learning.

In the second week we travelled to Sioux Falls South Dakota to stay with Kate's sister Maureen and husband HL, but we became increasingly anxious as we heard the news reports and escalating positive cases and subsequent deaths. By March 12 th cases in Australia were doubling every 3 days, surging from less than 200 to more than 2000. The very next day the Prime Minister advised a ban on non-essential outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people and overseas arrivals were required to ‘self-isolate' for 14 days. Australians were strongly urged not to travel overseas.

The whole Coronavirus issue was starting to unravel dramatically and we could see the ‘writing was on the wall' for our holiday plans. So after only 2 weeks we decided that I would return to Australia and Kate would travel back to her farm in Iowa to support her family. I stayed on the phone for two hours and eventually was lucky to secure a flight from Omaha Nebraska via Denver and San Francisco to Melbourne. The next morning, Kate and I had a very emotional farewell not knowing how our future was going to unfurl.

By the time I left the country on March 17 th , in that two-week period 5,145 people in the United States had been infected and at least 91 people had died. I had got out by the ‘skin of my teeth' with the flight from Omaha to Denver only carrying 14 passengers and from  Denver to San Francisco the plane was barely a quarter full.   The International United Aircraft to Australia was absolutely 'chockers' coming back; not a spare seat.  Mostly, Aussie's were making the 'great escape' especially since Qantas and Virgin had stopped operating these routes. 

By the time we arrived back on home soil,  Australia announced that its borders would close to all but citizens and residents. As a result of Australia's international borders being closed and all overseas arrivals mandated to 14 days in ‘self-quarantine', overseas-acquired infections quickly plummeted. This was a turning point.  Other key factors in the control of the virus were Australia's widespread testing and ‘most or all' getting on top of coronavirus cases very early on. Social distancing and handwashing were also a vital part of this response. On March 29 th most indoor and outdoor gatherings were limited to two people and Australians returning from overseas were now required to spend 14 days quarantining in a hotel. Soon after that on April 5 th WA became the first state to close its borders and the d aily growth in total confirmed cases dropped below 1 per cent. In Australia there were 95 deaths, confirmed cases: 6,801 (recovered 5,817) 177 were in hospital and 23 people were on ventilators. Contrasting with these very encouraging numbers the situation in the US was becoming very desperate with 60,966 total deaths and 1.04 million confirmed cases in just two months.

It became a matter of urgency to get Kate back safely to Australia, so I was able to book a flight on April 30 th via Chicago to San Francisco and on to Sydney. Before Kate left, United Airlines issued a directive that everyone would need to cover their nose and mouth with a mask or some sort of cloth even if it was a scarf.  This was quite a contrast to what we saw in early March when the majority were still not taking any precautions.

All seemed to be going as planned when Kate left Omaha on time, but you can imagine how I felt when I opened my computer a few hours later and there was an email from Kate's sister Pat.

“Brian, your poor wife is sick in San Francisco so didn't fly out last night! She was unable to reach you by phone so asked if I would email you. She DOES NOT have coronavirus but apparently picked up gastro somewhere. She was very, very sick on the flight from Chicago to San Francisco. She hopes to now fly out on Thursday night. She is staying at the Holiday Inn Express in San Francisco. The telephone number is 650 589-0600 and she is in Room 216. She really hopes you can call her ASAP. ”

Kate had left Omaha but it soon became apparent that she wasn't feeling the best.  So much so, that soon after she boarded the flight from Chicago to San Francisco she had frequent bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea.  The arrangements to stay over in San Francisco had been organised by a very helpful Ethiopian Paramedic at the airport. Anyway, Kate recovered enough to be able to prepare for the last leg of the journey, but it wasn't a ‘jump up start' getting back to the airport.  Uber drivers and taxis were mostly non-existent but with some persistent phone calls, a driver was finally organised who had plastic shield guards both in the front and back seats for ‘social distancing'.

United were only operating one flight a day to Australia in April and May and then this service would then most likely cease.  Qantas were only operating 4 flights from LA to Brisbane during April, but this also ceased on May 1 st .

Since the Australian Government introduced the 14 day ‘forcible Quarantine' on March 28 th   37,000 Australians arrived back in the country. Kate described San Francisco Airport like being in an eerie ‘ghost town'. There were only about 40 passengers on the flight from San Francisco to Sydney, so Kate had the entire row to stretch out.  Meals were streamlined and adequate but without all the trimmings like tea and coffee etc. She said it ‘'was the best trip ever.''

Kate told me the 3-hour processing in Sydney was like a military operation ‘'so awesome and regulated including a temperature check of the passengers.''  There were Army, Navy, Boarder Police and NSW Police present; ‘'many more than there were passengers.''  A very impressive spokesperson addressed them on the bus.  Kate told me everyone listened intently except a ‘pompous git US Fed X pilot who said he wanted to talk to the manager of this operation'.  The spokesperson said ‘'you're speaking to her; I'm in charge of this whole operation'' which rightly put him back in his place to the wry smiles of everybody else.

Kate was so gleeful to be back, especially when she found out that she had been placed in one of the top Hotels in Darling Harbour called the ‘Sofitel' 5 Star which has 35 floors ) ;  Kate was on level 8.  This area of Sydney was very familiar territory because that is where she began working in a school with the ‘Good Samaritan Sisters' way back in 1980. 

Kate received 3 meals a day delivered to her door and afterwards the ‘single use' utensils etc, used linen and rubbish were sealed in plastic bags and left outside the door. As you can imagine the room was beautiful with a large TV and a King-sized bed.  I was able to talk to Kate by ringing reception and being put through to her room.  She told me that there was a family in one room of mum, dad and three children aged 15, 13 and 11.  ‘'Can you imagine how they're going to stop them from killing each other over 14 days in the same room?'' Kate said that she felt a bit like a ‘'captive bird in a cage but she assured me that she was singing now but may go a bit quiet as the days progressed.''  She received a ring from the Australian Federal Police in the late afternoon just to check everything was OK.  There were official people also stationed outside in the hallways to make sure no-one left their room which is also helped by the fact that no keys were issued. Kate did have medical insurance for her trip to the US but like most policies, if not all, it did not cover ‘Pandemics'.   If per chance Kate had any medical symptoms at the hotel, she had the reassurance that instant help was just a phone call away.

Overall, we were very grateful to the Australian Government for the way they organised, prepared  and dealt with the complicated issues arising from COVID-19. Also, we will never forget how lucky we were to make it back safely to Australia where we have so much to be grateful for in this country.