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Yoliswa Dube-Moyo

On January 22, United States President Donald Trump received his first public question from a reporter regarding whether or not he was concerned about the coronavirus.

President Trump responded, “No, not at all. We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China. It’s going to be just fine.”

He was wrong. Positive cases in the United States had passed 2 700 with 55 deaths by March 14 and currently stand at over 2 million cases with 118 000 deaths.

On January 23, Chinese authorities shut down Wuhan, a city of 11 million, which heightened the urgency for the United States response team.

Cruise ships disembarking crew in the US had to comply with strict regulations imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US health protection agency.

The cruise lines had to sign attestations adhering to requirements before staff were allowed to leave the ship. Crew were instructed to travel via cruise line-organised charter flights, and repatriation of crew via commercial transport was only allowed on a case-by-case basis with prior CDC approval.

Repatriation efforts across the world were complicated by closed borders, ports barring cruise ships and travel lockdowns.

Meanwhile, cases continued to soar. Schools were closed. People with elective surgeries were encouraged to postpone them. In some states, bars, movie theatres, gyms and fitness centres were closed. Restaurants were urged to limit themselves to take-aways and delivery only.

And then Sarah (surname withheld for ethical reasons), a Zimbabwean cruise ship crew member based in the United States was stuck at sea, with home and family far away.

It was weeks before she and other cruise ship crew members would be repatriated in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic with many employees frustrated and disheartened.

Adding to this stress was the pressure of days spent trapped inside a tiny – often windowless – cabin. Bad Wi-Fi, inconsistent communication and financial worries added to the burden.

“Getting flights was virtually impossible. Only Americans were allowed to fly in while we couldn’t get flights to come back home. After struggling to get flights for weeks, our company decided to sail us back,” said Sarah as she re-counted her voyage back home.

She continued: “It was nice to be sailing first class for a change but it was a somewhat lonely journey as we all had to self-quarantine in our cabins. Being workers in the tourism industry presented a likelihood that any of us could’ve contracted the coronavirus.”

Her mobile phone, the shady Wi-Fi connection and a television set became her best friends as their ship crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a cruise that would last about two weeks.

“Social gatherings were not allowed so you’d keep yourself busy in your cabin. We would get an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening to go on deck and get some fresh air. We were to follow social distancing rules, wear face masks and sanitise our hands regularly. Our meals would come to our cabins via room service, again, in line with social distancing rules,” she said.

Sarah said she could’ve lost her mind had she not determined to keep herself busy during those two weeks.

“Some people on other ships couldn’t take the mental strain. Being locked up in your cabin meant it was just you and your thoughts most of the time. Some people just couldn’t take it. Others would commit suicide while in their cabins whereas some would throw themselves overboard,” she narrated.

Her siblings, she said, were in constant touch with her to ensure that she did not lose herself in her thoughts.

“Watching television can get boring, reading a book can get boring. There’s so much you can do and see on the Internet, but it can get boring. My siblings did a good job at keeping me sane despite the poor Wi-Fi connection. Imagine being confined to a room for two weeks, with little to no human interaction. It’s hard considering that we’re social beings,” said Sarah.

The situation in Zimbabwe regarding the management of Covid-19 was a constant worry as she was not sure what would become of her once she arrived in the country.

While the voyage went quite well, she had to continually wrestle with her mind about further quarantining in Zimbabwe, life after quarantine and whether or not she would be able to go back to her job in the US.

“I’d follow the news quite closely. I knew I had no choice but to get into mandatory quarantine once I arrived but I was also concerned about what I was hearing regarding the poor living conditions at the quarantine centres in Zimbabwe.”

Sarah said the initial plan was to sail to Durban, South Africa before getting a charter flight to Zimbabwe. But, South Africa would not hear of it.

“They denied us permission to use their port and airport. That was a really anxious moment for me. It was a case of being so near yet so far. We had to turn back and try either India or Dubai but Namibia came to our rescue in the nick of time. We then sailed to Walvis Bay while plans for a charter flight to Zimbabwe were being made,” she said.

Sarah recounted how they were accompanied by police from the port to the airport.

“Everyone is worried about contracting Covid-19. We were moved to the airport under strict supervision. It was surreal, and a relief despite the fact that I felt like a prisoner,” she said.

Following her arrival in Zimbabwe, Sarah was checked into a Harare hotel which served as a quarantine centre. It would be her home for another 14 days before she could proceed to Bulawayo where her family lives.

“I, of course, was pleased with the fact that the company had secured a decent place for us to live but was frankly fed up with being kept like a prisoner. Social media was unkind. Some would say we must go back to our hotspots and we were bringing them Covid-19 but this is home. Why should I have to go back,” she said.

Sarah and other crew members were not allowed to leave the hotel room, they had to utilise room service for food and those with balconies were privileged to be able to go out and breathe in some fresh air when required.

“The television watching continued. At least now the Wi-Fi connection had improved and I could receive calls from my family. We were under police guard so there was no way one could’ve escaped. We were expected to see a nurse downstairs for temperature checks every day between 2 and 4.30pm,” she said.

Upon arrival in Zimbabwe, Sarah and the rest of the crew had been tested for Covid-19 but they only got the results days after arrival.

“It was an anxious wait. Imagine if I had tested positive. I’d have to go for further quarantine at Wilkins Hospital. Already the stigma and discrimination around returnees and Covid-19 is bad. Just think what it would’ve meant testing positive.”

It was a battle of the mind, Sarah said. She however tested negative but her colleague whom she had been spending time with during their breaks had not been so lucky.

“He was taken away at night by an ambulance and some cops. We just heard that two people had tested positive and my colleague was one of them. It was a really sad moment for me imagining what he must have been going through. I couldn’t sleep for the days that followed. I had anxiety attacks and at some point even thought I had Covid-19 symptoms,” said Sarah.

A second sample had to be tested before she could be released from quarantine.

“The results would not come early enough and we had already been in quarantine in Zimbabwe for 14 days. The people from social welfare kept on telling us the results were coming. We couldn’t leave the quarantine centre without the second set of results. Our patience had grown thin and we couldn’t wait to get a tiny bit of our freedom back. I’d effectively been in quarantine for about three months in total and I had had enough. I was beyond fed up. My bags were already packed. When the results finally came, I just wanted to walk out of that place and taste some freedom. I was desperate to live like a normal person again,” said Sarah. — @Yolisswa