Briton Leslie Carr Blogs About Hongkong Hotel H1N1 Swine Flu Virus Quarantine

4 May 2009

Leslie Carr, a British businessman, is one of around 300 people kept under quarantine in a Hongkong hotel by the authorities because of the swine flu H1N1 virus.

Leslie Carr writes about his surreal misadventure, sort of being in the right place, at the wrong time:

I arrived in Hong Kong on April 24 and checked into the Metro Park Hotel. I then continued my journey to Shenzhen, Xiamen, and on May 1, I returned to Hong Kong.

I checked myself back into the Metro Park Hotel to stay overnight as I was leaving to fly back to the UK on the 2nd.

But this was not to be.....

After I checked-in I decided to do a last-minute shopping trip. Three hours later I returned back to my hotel only to find the street was paved with police control vehicles and offices.

My hotel was sealed off with police tape and I had to fight my way through to speak with one office and question what was going on, only to be informed that there had been a case of swine flu and the building was contaminated by a guest from Mexico.

I was asked to follow the officer to the quarantine area where I was met by the quarantine staff all dressed in full-protective clothing.

They proceeded to asked many questions of my travel arrangements whilst in China. I then had the situation explained to me.

I was then told to see the doctor where they issued me Tamiflu drugs which I am to take for the next 10 days.

I was informed I will have to remain in quarantine for seven days - a legal requirement in Hong Kong.

The rest of his story, courtesy of Sky News, is here.  

Hongkong authorities ordered the quarantine after a 25-year old Mexican checked into the Metro Park hotel and later on became sick with the H1N1 flu.  The case of this Mexican tourist was the first confirmed infection in Asia. 

  

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