Dead Airport

We were back in Hong Kong.  I didn't want to be back.  The holiday had easily been the best I had ever had.  Food, sun, sights, friends.  It was a trip that had everything I wanted, and I felt my soul had been refreshed by the ability to get out of the stifling confines of Hong Kong and the interminable coronavirus restrictions.  Yet all good things must come to an end and so after a brief period back in Rome, were flew back to Hong Kong via Doha.  In what felt like a strange return to normality, as we were boarding our connecting flight in Doha, I heard a familiar voice call my name from behind me.  A friend who lived with us in Hong Kong was returning from Spain and we happened to be on the same flight back.  This reminded me of the encounters we all used to have at Hong Kong airport.  It was such a busy place with people coming and going that we were always lucky to bump into people who were off on their own travels at the same time.

Things were now very different.

Arriving back in Hong Kong, the airport felt largely deserted.

We were funneled down different paths to go to the various testing stations and waiting spots.  It seemed ludicrous that we were going through this charade given coronavirus was well and truly within the community in Hong Kong.  The outbreak had occurred in March and many months later, there was still this futile and pointless behaviour to "stop" incoming infections.  I was probably more likely to catch the virus again on my next taxi ride in Hong Kong.

There was a noticeable annoyance from all the travelers like myself.  Back when there was a genuine need for the protective measures, I think most people were understanding and willing to accept what needed to be done.  Now it was a different situation altogether.  This was a waste of time and money.  Flippant comments were made.  Sarcasm abounded and people rolled their eyes at the white clad and double masked staff trying to manage this process.  I didn't hate these people.  It was just their job and they were trying to earn a living.  But they did represent an awful impact on our lives that seemed to now stem more from the poor decision making of a few rather than the original underlying coronavirus.

After the tests and the waiting, we were eventually allowed through.  We were already undergoing a more streamlined process than others and were allowed to leave the airport after negative RATs. Previously, people had to wait at the airport until their PCR tests showed negative as well which at times resulted in waits last hours.  We went to collect our bags, but it still wasn't over.  We were now off to our mandatory hotel quarantine.