Lifetime experience

12 July 2021, I was sms-ed and called up to be informed that I was in close contact with a confirmed COVID positive case. I was very shocked with the sms and phonecall. Everything from SMS and subsequent phonecalls were all very shocking and I could make no sense from it.

The SMS from MOH stated that I was identified as a close contact of a probable or confirmed COVID case on 10 Jul 23:10 by TraceTogether and I was issued a QO under the Infectious Diseases Act.

Firstly, 10 Jul was a Saturday and by 11pm, I was already in my bed. How could I ever be in close contact of a probable or confirmed COVID case?

Secondly, the second text from MOH stated that I was identified as a close contact of a probable or confirmed COVID case on 8 Jul 2021 at 08:50 by TraceTogether. Now, 8 Jul 2021 is a Thu and 850AM, I was at home, having my usual morning coffee before I start working from home ie from my laptop, in my room because by 930am, I will zoom for my weekly meeting. This again, totally makes no sense on how I was in close contact. This TraceTogether is not working at all!

The whole morning and afternoon of 12 Jul 2021 was very "disturbing" while I was having my zoom meeting with my client and consultants. I got interrupted from my meeting with many phonecalls from CERTIS, CISCO and MOH, tell me to stay home, keep a safe distance from others...which I was so confused. And so my immediate reaction was to keep myself isolated in my room and stayed away from Jade, whilst still zooming. The boys had gone to school already so they are safe if I'm really in close contact with a COVID case. They also told me to pack my bag (for the next 2 weeks) and to wait for someone to bring me to my quarantine facility.

12 Jul 2021 afternoon, MOH informed my hubs that my 2 boys are in close contact and had to be sent to quarantine facility as well. And what was worse, I couldn't be the guardian. It has to be someone who is not under QO ie healthy. And my helper was also under QO. So it is left with hubs and Jade who were not in close contact with the COVID cases. Then if hubs goes to QO with my 2 boys, my helper goes to a QO facility and I myself also to a QO facility, who is going to look after my 4 year old?

We tried to request for home quarantine with many MOH, CERTIS and CISCO officers but to no avail for the next day. 

12 Jul 2021, 2pm. The swabber came to do the ART and PCR test on me and my helper. Both helper and my ART were negative. This came as a relief and more so affirmed myself that the TraceTogether was wonky. 

12 Jul 2021, I waited till 930pm and no one came for me or my helper. I thought perhaps my chance of having a home quarantine might be granted. I unpacked my toothbrush and toothpaste, changed to my pajamas, washed up and went to bed with a heavy heart.

13 Jul 2021, about 12 noon, swabber came to do ART and PCR test for my 2 boys.

13 Jul 2021, both mine and helper PCR test were negative too but we still had to serve our QO.

13 Jul 2021, before 5pm. MOH called to say that they are coming for me, helper and my 2 boys. They allowed me to be the guardian for my 2 boys and we were to share a room. My helper in a separate room. Ok, at least now hubs can stay home to look after Jade.

But we had many phonecalls to make. Inform Jade's Kindergarten that her 2 brothers were under QO but she is not. School said she is not allowed to go back to school until her 2 brothers were off rom their QO. Had to call the boys' school up to inform them of the QO and had to arrange for school work to be done at QO (which the teachers couldn't arrange in time too). We called the boys' school bus to inform him that the boys will not be taking the school bus for 2 weeks.

We forgot to inform Jade's school bus and got an earful from the bus driver.

Called our parents to inform them of our QO.

I had to inform my office and client of my QO, although I managed to sit in the meetings for the next 2 weeks but it was a terrible painful experience as the WIFI was very very bad. My colleagues were saying that I sounded like robocop at the other end...super laggy and half the time, I could only hear 50% of the conversation.

My boys' school teachers managed to put up a week's school work and couriered it over to our QO facilities, this I was very thankful even though it arrived 3 days before our QO ended so my boys and I had little time to cram and finish all the school work.

In between zoom meetings, I had to teach my 2 boys Math, Chinese, English and finish up all their electronic lessons. We ate our meals using our luggage as a table top, sat on the floor because there was no proper table for meals.

Hubs had to make 1 trip down to bring the boys' school bags which had their textbooks and some worksheets but not all.

Everyday, I have to take my temperature 3 times a day and record it to the Homer App. If not someone will call me and ask to whatsapp video call me to check up on me.

I had a tracker taped on my wrist while I was in QO. 

Our QO ended on the 25 Jul 2021. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. I know our government is trying to keep our nation safe and I respect that, but I'm now very weary about the TraceTogether and how effective it is.