The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has cut my summer vacation by 25%. In an effort to prevent the disease from entering Nunavut, the territorial government mandated – (some time in March or April) – that all travel to the territory is restricted to essential people and people who reside within the territory. On top of that, the people who fall into the previously mentioned categories and wish to return, must self-isolate for 14 days (2 weeks) in one of four designated hotel sites in Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, or Edmonton. The government will cover expenses. The isolation period is to make sure you don’t or do have COVID-19. Better to have it down south then bring it up north where access to healthcare is more challenging.
I’m a Nunavut resident and I like to consider myself essential. The last two weeks of my summer will be spent in an Ottawa hotel room. I don’t think I’ve ever spent that much time in a hotel. I think the most was a week or a day or two more. This will be a new experience for me, especially since I won’t be allowed to leave the hotel or possibly my room. Sounds like I’ll be spending time in a luxury prison cell.
Reports on how things are at the isolation sites have been sketchy at best. I’ve only heard rumours, and read one negative newspaper article that describes the food quality as poor, and many people not following the rules. I’ll get a clearer picture when I go into isolation.
The self-isolation process actually began in June. I had to submit an Isolation Reservation Request Form to the government. My plane ticket reservation code was required as proof that I was returning to the territory. My Confirmation Letter (CL) arrived on July 1, along with a Pre-Isolation Check Form (PICF). The PICF needed to be submitted 7 days before I went into isolation. The CL stated the name of the hotel where I would be staying. The place is frequently used by Nunavut travellers after another well-known hotel closed and became a senior citizens home. My first day of isolation was scheduled for July 23, 2020.
July 22, 2020
It's the day before I go into isolation and I've come down with a migraine. I hate migraines. I wanted to spend the entire day packing, but I can't. I can only lie in bed, hold an icepack to my head, and wait. Taking Tylenol Extra Strength can only do so much. The sudden change in weather triggered the migraine.
My cell phone rings, waking me from my sleep. I want to ignore the phone call but a part of me thinks it’s important. I sit up, do my best to ignore my pounding headache, and answer the phone. The caller is a Nunavut public servant. They inform me that my reservation has been changed. I will be isolating in a downtown Ottawa hotel, but I still have to be there on July 23. I write down the name & address of the hotel before the call ends. At least I’ll have a nice cityscape to look at from my bedroom window. I return to bed and sleep some more.
My migraine doesn’t begin to subside until the evening. I slowly head downstairs to the kitchen and consume a bowl of chicken soup my mother prepared for me. The T-bone steak will have to wait until tomorrow. I tell my parents about the last-minute hotel change
The entire day has gone to waste. I will have to pack tomorrow morning. That’s not a problem because check in time is between 1 – 4pm and I already spent a few days setting things aside. In hindsight, it’s good that I had a migraine before I went into isolation. If it occurred while I was at the hotel, the staff would probably panic.
My migraine finally disappears late at night. I hope it doesn’t return.
To Be Continued . . .
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