In this article, I will share my experience staying at the COVID Quarantine Centre in Jawi, Penang. Based on my 8 days there, here is a checklist of things to pack and a guide on how to survive. 

A day after I took the COVID-19 test, I received a text message stating that, I was positive. A few hours after that, I received a phone call from KKM who informed me that I will have to go to the quarantine centre the next day. 

I tried to request to quarantine at home with the excuse that I had to work from home. The KKM informed me that they do not allow anyone to quarantine at home and said that working from home and working from the quarantine centre is the exact same. 

SPOILER ALERT: it isn’t. There was no Wi-Fi, and my hotspot connection was terrible! 

The next day, the KKM van came to my apartment and took me to the quarantine centre. Please note that it isn’t a direct transfer to the quarantine centre. 

First, they took me all around the Gelugor area to fetch other patients. Then, we went to the mainland area to fetch more people. After around 3 hours of fetching people, we finally reached the quarantine centre. 

When you reach the quarantine centre, you will be given your bedsheet and bed number then, you will have to go for a quick check up (temperature and blood pressure).  

Yay, you are officially checked in to your COVID-19 quarantine centre. 

The quarantine centre in Jawi, Penang is a two-story building, the downstairs for foreigners and the upstairs for locals. The upstairs is divided into two sections or what I would call sleeping halls. 

When you enter the sleeping halls, all you will see are rows and rows of beds. There are two bathrooms, a tv room and a prayer room for the Muslims. 

The men’s quarantine building is just next to the female building but it is separated with barbed wire. You can sit outside there and spend some time with your male friends who are on the other side of the barbed wire. 

Food has to be collected outside, at the entrance to the quarantine building. Food is given 3 times a day and is mostly curries, fish and chicken, sambals and so on. They also give you apples once or twice a day. 

My daily routine was to wake up at around 7 or 8 AM. Not because I’m a morning person but because of all the people around me, chatting and talking. Then, I’ll brush my teeth and shower if there’s water. Oh ya, forgot to mention that sometimes, there won’t be water. 

After showering, I eat my breakfast and wait for my name to be called for the daily medical check-up. After my medical check-up, I just read my book or watch a Netflix show (if my internet connection is good) until lunch time. 

After lunch, it’s the same thing read a book or watch Netflix until dinner time. After dinner, I take another shower and get ready for bed. By 10PM, I’m fast asleep. 

Luckily for me, my friend was also quarantined but in the other building, So, we made a schedule to meet each other on each sides on the barbed wire every day at 4PM and 7PM. 

If I’m being honest, the whole experience might be safe for your physical health but not for your mental health. 

Being in a hall full of beds without any privacy and just a tiny space for yourself can be very uncomfortable. This can have a negative effect on your mental health, which is why you will have to be strong and take the necessary steps to ensure that you are healthy mentally. 

Now, here are the things that you will have to pack for the quarantine centre:

+ You own bedsheet, pillowcase, and blanket. They do provide a bedsheet and pillowcase, but it isn’t the comfy kind. It’s the plasticky one that will make you feel warm. So, bring your own for extra comfort. Blankets are not provided only mattress and pillow provided. 

+ 7 to 9 days of clothing if you don’t plan on washing them. 5 days of clothing if you plan on washing them. You will have to stay at the quarantine centre for a minimum to 10 days from the date that you did your swab test. So, bring enough clothes!

+ Toiletries. Toothbrush, face wash, body soap, shampoo, and toothpaste. The basics. If you have any other toiletries that you use on a daily basis then bring it too. Nothing is provided. 

+ Towel

+ Detergent. brush and pail. There’s no washing machine so if you’re planning on packing light and washing your clothes then make sure you bring the detergent and pail. Brush will be needed if you plan on really, seriously washing your clothes la.

+ Hangers because if you are gonna wash your clothes, you will need to hang them. 

+ Food. IMPORTANT NOTE: no fridge is provided. So, bring food stuff that doesn’t need to be refrigerated. Bring lots of instant noodle cups, biscuits, a small loaf of bread, some peanut butter or Nutella, snacks, nuts, and anything else. This will be useful if you’re not a fan of the food or when the food arrives late and you’re unbearable hungry (this happened to me). 

+ 3 in 1 drinks, especially coffee if you are a coffee addict. I brought a whole packet of Nescafe 3 in 1! You can also bring Milo or whatever you like. 

+ A cup for your coffee and a spoon to make your coffee. I also brought an airtight Tupperware to put my biscuits so that they won’t masuk angin. 

+ Water Bottle. There are water dispensers, hot and cold in the tv room. 

+ Books, Word search books and anything else that you can use for your entertainment. You will literally have nothing to do there, plus the possibility that your internet connection to work is 50/50. So bring something for you to do so that time flies. 

+ A sleep mask. Sometimes, people just want the lights on and you will find it difficult to sleep so this will come in handy.

How to stay mentally healthy:

+ Keep yourself busy, constantly read or watch Netflix shows. If you aren’t busy, then you will start seeing the reality of your situation and it will just make you feel worse.

+ Have a schedule. I made myself a daily quarantine schedule that I followed starting Day 3 in quarantine. It helped me feel like I had a purpose and also help me keep busy. 

+ Stay active. While some people just give up and stay in bed all day, I definitely do not recommend doing that because you will get sick and tired of your bed. Take a walk outside and get some fresh air in the evening. 

+ Make friends. Being quarantined is better with people to talk to. Everyone there is going through the same thing you are so, make friends. At least you will feel less sorry for yourself knowing that other also going through the same thing.