So you think Quarantine in the Maldives is nice? Think again!
My partner Roger, and I booked a 10-day diving safari in the Maldives for December 2020. Before deciding to travel, we did our research: which countries were safe to travel to (low case numbers), require negative PCR tests for entry, and had good health and quarantine requirements should we come down with COVID-19 despite it all. The Maldives checked all our boxes and had a 94-page document in place on how they handle cases of coronavirus in hotels and on liveaboard trips. “They really know what they are doing,” we thought, and off we went.
What this article is not about
This article is not about our decision to travel. We knew the risks we would be taking by travelling during a global pandemic. We did a lot of research (which turned out not to be enough) and made a calculated decision based our own willingness to take a health-risk and government regulations at the time: Non-essential travel outside of the country was allowed and the Maldives were a travel corridor country — with no quarantine required upon return.
This article is also not about how we arrived at this situation, but rather about what happened when it was determined that there was a covid case on our boat and we’d all need to quarantine. The isolation facility also took in people coming from resorts and, therefore, I consider what happened on the boat as a separate story to this quarantine diary.
Furthermore, this article is not a complaint about the fact that we had to quarantine (and pay for it)— that was expected and the right thing to do. We can’t even imagine what could have happened otherwise! It is merely a written account on what you can expect should you end up being quarantined in the Maldives.
This article is intended to help people do their research as they consider travelling to the Maldives during the Covid-19 pandemic.
28th December
This day was the second-to-last day of our 10-day diving trip. We had seen all we wanted to see: numerous sharks, manta rays, eagle rays, and even the rare whale shark. As we prepared for departure into our respective home countries, two guests flying back to Dubai and therefore requiring a PCR test received the shocking news: Their test came back positive. “Shit, what now?” we all thought and started our journey into the unknown of Maldivian government regulations and quarantine requirements.
The boat managers have informed the Maldivian Health Protection Agency (HPA) about the positive cases on our boat and we were waiting to hear back. We were informed that we definitely would not be going home anytime soon and that last time this happened the people on the boat had to wait for 4 days until the HPA sorted out the paperwork and had people transferred to a quarantine facility. So, the waiting began.
30th December (Day 0 of Quarantine)
In the afternoon we finally got some news. We would all have to be quarantined for 14 days, we would be transferred to a facility called “Fun Island Resort & Spa”, and they encouraged us to look it up on booking.com (it looks quite decent, doesn’t it). We were required to pay 75USD per person per day for the quarantine (2184USD per couple including 3% credit card tax) and despite repetitive asking for a receipt, we didn’t get one. “The resort will be able to give you a receipt when you check in” we were told. “What about Covid tests? Why have none of us been tested yet when the HPA guidelines clearly state to immediately test everyone who was in contact with the confirmed case?” No answer.
Later that day we were picked up by a boat and brought to Fun Island where we were greeted by the national defence forces dressed in full PPE. We had to sit in front of a hotel room used as the “medical room” in 30°C hot weather for almost 2 hours with no water or food being offered to us. One by one, we had our blood pressure taken and were asked if we had any symptoms. Most of us didn’t know how to answer this question as we had just been diving for 9 days in a row, maybe a little cough is normal when breathing dry air all the time? Maybe a little headache is normal when diving 4 times per day? Maybe the chest pain is anxiety creeping in? The doctor also asked when we had been tested and was rather surprised when we said we hadn’t. However, he wasn’t able to answer when we’d be able to get some tests either.
Around 9 pm we were assigned our rooms, directly followed by shock and tears from several people. The rooms were full of ants and anything else that crawls, and the bathroom was covered in mould. The floors were covered in dust and dirt and many mattresses had bed bugs. There was no soap, body wash, or hand disinfectant (“We ran out” they said) and only one roll of toilet paper. Is this really a place to keep people with a respiratory illness?
Many of us ran back to the “medical room” where we found the commander and the rest of the defence forces who are stationed there. “Please don’t let us sleep here! Please can we at least have some cleaning products?” we pledge. The commander informs us that this resort has not been used for 8 months but that they were assured it was deep cleaned before our arrival. When we showed them the state of the rooms we were in, they were equally shocked.
Around midnight, some of us were given bleach and insect killer (but no cloth to clean). My partner kindly separated from two of his t-shirts, which we used to clean the floors and surfaces in our room. The couple in the room next to ours had their mattress changed due to bed bugs, but as soon as they put down the new mattress, a whole load of dirt came out and landed on the freshly cleaned floor. They were moved to another room after that incident (“It still has ants but at least no bed bugs” they reported). It wasn’t until 2 am when many of us managed to get some sleep.
31st December (Day 1 of Quarantine)
In the morning, we received our “continental breakfast” and were all added to a WhatsApp group organised by the medical team. They informed us we will all be tested as soon as possible but couldn’t answer when that will be.
We had so many questions: When will we be able to leave? Was yesterday day 0 or day 1? How long is the mandatory quarantine? What happens if some people test negative? What about the people who already had Covid and have antibody certificates to prove it? We didn’t get a single answer from the medical team. Furthermore, to this day, none of us have received any official document stating that we had to be in quarantine nor a receipt for our payment(s) so far, despite repetitive asking.
Later that day the medical team sent us a link through the WhatsApp group where we should all send 1050MVR (~70USD) for our PCR test. For 9 people (out of 24), the link did not work and kept timing out and ultimately they were asked to pay in cash. Someone’s card was debited after they paid cash, but attempting to prove they paid double was hard.
Did any of us get a receipt? No.
Around 5 pm that day, we all get our PCR tests done.
1st January (Day 2 of Quarantine)
In the morning we received a WhatsApp message from our dive guide on the boat. He had received our test results via WhatsApp and would be forwarding them to us in our group. He proceeded to send (only) three results that are all negative — one of them mine. “Why are our test results being sent to our boat manager?” we asked, but nobody had an answer.
Later that day, the remaining people received calls from the medical team with their results. The status now was 19 positives, 4 negatives and 1 inconclusive. The couples where one parter is positive and one is negative were informed that they would have to split and stay in separate rooms. That included Roger and me, and later that day we were separated.
We had more and more questions (despite not a single one being answered thus far): “Can the negative people have antibody tests done? Can the negative people be retested asap if they suspect it was a false negative? When will the negative people be retested otherwise? What is the process for anyone who tested positive? When can we leave?”. The medical team didn’t have any answers and gave us an email address to send our questions to the HPA. Many of us did, but to this day none of us have received an answer.
In the evening we finally got some clarification from the medical team on when we will be allowed to leave: 13th January. Oh, how naive were we.
2nd January (Day 3 of Quarantine)
In the early afternoon that day, we receive a message from the medical team that our quarantine will now last until 14th January (or whatever date they chose a bit later). All hell broke loose, as most of us had rebooked our flights, with the assumption that we could leave on the 13th. We were angry and confused, but most of all, we felt lost. The rules seemed to keep changing and there was nobody who could tell us what was happening and what the process was. “What about our families back home? What about our jobs? pets? plants?”. Tensions were running high as we were left there, unable to plan anything — and we had yet to receive any official documents confirming that we had to quarantine there.
Furthermore, myself and two others who originally tested negative started developing symptoms. We asked the medical team to retest us but our questions were ignored. We contacted HPA again and also reached out to our respective embassies for help. We let the medical team know about our efforts but they said they have not heard from any higher authority and we cannot be retested until their higher authority permits them to do so. Naturally, we were very worried and anxious: If we test positive, chances are that our quarantine will restart from the day of our positive test… and nobody wanted to be stuck in this place alone.
Later that day, some of us were sent a pdf via WhatsApp with a quarantine notice. The documents were full of errors: Misspelled names, wrong dates of birth, and incomplete or just plain wrong passport numbers. None of the people who tested negative received a quarantine notice and when we asked if we will get one too, the answer was just “wait”.
3rd January (Day 4 of Quarantine)
Still no news on when we could be retested.
Meanwhile, a few people were starting to have more serious symptoms like high fever and tight chest. However, none of us had received a health check since they took our blood pressure the day we arrived, and none of us were asked by the medical team how we were feeling.
I must mention at this point though that commander Azim and his team tried everything in their limited power to make our “stay” there more pleasant. They helped us with cleaning products, ant-spray, clean(er) towels and tried to adjust the food as some of us couldn’t eat what we were given for various reasons. They also tried to help us get into contact with HPA (with limited success) and with resort management so we could get a receipt for our 2000+ USD.
4th January (Day 5 of Quarantine)
I finally receive my quarantine letter but as it turns out I am now from Swaziland, rather than Switzerland. Roger and I decided it will be easier to explain to the insurance that HPA made a mistake rather than trying to get it changed at that point. Still, we had no news on being retested though.
5th January (Day 6 of Quarantine)
We were asked to come to the medical room for our retests — finally!
Meanwhile, Georg, a fellow diver went to the medical room and asked to get have his lungs listened to. The doctor gave him a stethoscope and asked him to do it himself.
On the same day, another guy wanted to have his fever checked and was told to come back later. If you couldn’t get any medical attention in that place if you were well enough to ask for it, what about all the people who weren’t well enough to ask to be looked after…?
6th January (Day 7 of Quarantine)
Three out of three retests came back positive. We were unsure what it meant for us, was our quarantine going to be restarted from the date of our positive test? All three of us messaged the medical team asking if our quarantine can be backdated to the start of our symptoms, just as they did for other people.
You guessed correctly, we didn’t get an answer.
7th January (Day 8 of Quarantine)
Dirk, who was also on the boat with us, fainted that morning. He was struggling to get air and Wasan, their next-door neighbour was running to the medical centre to get the doctor‘s attention while his wife stayed with him. “Can he come here for assessment?” the doctor asked. “No! He can not” (did you seriously just ask this?). The doctor and the nurse made their way to his room and seemed rather puzzled about what to do. The doctor was asking why he didn’t know that Dirk was running a high fever for the past 4 days. His wife told him that they had told the other doctor and complained that they should get their communication in order.
Wasan pointed out that Dirk looks like he needs oxygen — yes, it took someone with no medical degree to point out to the doctor that a covid patient struggling to breathe might need some oxygen. “We don’t have any,” they said. Just let that sit for a moment.
Luckily, Dirk began to feel better for a short while (possibly thanks to adrenaline) and soon after a speed boat arrived to take him to a hospital in Malé where he is recovering now.
Later that day, another patient, aged 72, had to be taken to the hospital with 39.7°C fever. We were all shocked and wondered: How could they let it come so far and not transport him to the hospital sooner, especially considering the hospital is over an hour away by speedboat?
8th January (Day 9 of Quarantine)
That morning we received a message from the medical team to come for assessment at 5 pm. “Wow, now they start caring about how we are all doing,” we thought and went to have our blood pressure checked. From that day on we had to report for assessment every day.
On a more positive note: The newly positive people were informed that their quarantine will be backdated to the 2nd of January, the date of symptom onset. Thank god for some good news!!
12th January (Day 13 of Quarantine)
We received news that the two people in the hospital were recovering well and were expected to be released in a couple of days.
13th January (Day 14 of Quarantine)
The UK, where we live, announced that they will require a negative PCR test for arrivals from the 15th of January and we were planning to fly home on the 16th. It was very unlikely that we would test negative on a new PCR test, despite no longer being infectious and we hoped that our quarantine release documents would be enough to get us home. However, the statutory instrument had not been published yet, which left us hanging as to how we will get back home.
After deliberation with the other passengers flying back to the UK, we all decided to take a new PCR test anyway and figure out what we would do when we had the result. We asked the medical team what would happen if we’d test positive on the new test: “No problem, you will be able to leave anyway” they ensured us.
Roger then proceeded to ask for a new PCR test to be done the following day. “You can not do a test anymore as your quarantine has officially ended”, they answered, triggering a rather frustrated response from my partner Roger (his quarantine was officially ending on the 14th). Not knowing what the exact guidance would be, we felt lost and stranded, fearing we were going to be stuck in this place for god knows how long.
14th January (Day 15 of Quarantine)
We woke up that morning to the news that the UK had pushed back the requirement for a negative covid test until the 18th, so it looked like we would be able to go home. Phew!!
Later that day, Dirk was released from the hospital. His quarantine was officially over that day as well, but the hospital insisted they could only release him from the hospital, and he’d have to go back to Fun Island (via a 400$ speedboat) to be released from quarantine and then go back to the airport (via a 400$ speedboat). However, when he arrived, he was informed by the medical team that since he had tested positive in the hospital, he will have to stay for another 7 days. Remember how we were told we can leave anyway even if the release test was positive? Well, turns out the rules changed overnight…
He also told us some stories from his time at the hospital: Despite his insurance reaching out to the hospital to directly pay for the cost of treatment, the hospital refused all communication and insisted for Dirk to pay himself. When he refused and told them to take the payment from the insurance, they ignored him and later woke him up at 2 am to (again) ask for the payment, telling him he won’t be released otherwise.
The other guy, Jan, was also released from the hospital and arrived back on the island. They told him he’d need a negative test to be released and charged him 350USD for a PCR test with a fast turnaround. We had joked that that price probably includes a charge for the test to be negative, but it later came back inconclusive, meaning he had to stay for 7 more days.
16th January (Day 17 of Quarantine)
We were finally released!! In the morning, a speedboat was waiting for us to take us to the airport. When we arrived, someone was waiting for us to take payment for the extra days we stayed at the facility and the speedboat. We did not receive a receipt (surprise!) but we were promised by the Fun Island management to get a full receipt for both our time at Fun Island, as well as the speedboat.
We have all arrived back home and can hopefully look back at this experience with a smile — someday.
Final thoughts
This was not an easy time for any of us. It was a time of uncertainty, anxiety and frustration over the various levels of incompetence with which this situation was handled. But it was also a time for us to come together and to support each other through this situation. The friendships made on this trip will no doubt last longer than they otherwise would ever have.
While a lot of things were poorly handled as I have detailed in this article, a lot of people did their best to support us and make the experience more bearable for us and that deserves a mention as well:
- The defence forces on Fun Island, especially commander Azim did everything to help us. He and his team were very responsive on WhatsApp and organised cleaning supplies, dish soap, toothpaste and even duvets for us.
- Bernie from Emperor — Thank you for all your support from afar and trying to sort out things from the other end. Thank you for organising the speedboat to get us out of there :)
- Our contacts from the embassies — Thank you for looking out for us, checking in with us and trying everything in your power to help us get more clarity on the situation. Thank you for pushing for us to be retested!
- Thank you to the Google security team for sending me a package of supplies — it was great to be able to wash my clothes!
- Thank you to Lim from the HPA. She was by far the only competent and helpful person we spoke to from that agency, too bad we only found out about her at the end of our trip.
- And finally, thank you to the family and friends who were looking after our pets and plants while we were away. You didn’t sign up to do this for so long, so thank you! :)
