A forced sidelining with the hints of confinement, in the face of a Covid-19 epidemic which is regaining strength. The sudden decision of the United Kingdom, last week, to place the Hexagon on its red list and thus force all those who would be there to a compulsory quarantine on their return, reminds that this forced isolation has affected many French abroad since March.
Thousands of nationals have experienced - or are currently living - a quarantine, decreed because of a professional trip, studies, related to family reasons or quite simply for a tourist purpose. From behind closed doors in their apartments, all over the world, French people portray this 14-day sidelining that is not always easy to live with.
Maëlle, in quarantine in South Korea: "We only talk to each other on the networks"
In three days, Maëlle, a 20-year-old student from Bordeaux, will finally be able to stroll through the busy streets of Busan, the second largest city in South Korea. But for now, it's trapped between the four walls of a university dormitory in the city that she watches the trains go by. The young woman arrived on August 7 for a year of exchange. With a requirement of the South Korean authorities, to which is gladly submitted: spend, like many other foreign students, its first 14 days isolated from all human contact, in order to acquire the certainty that it does not is not contaminated.
"Once I arrived, I was made to sign a lot of papers and I was taken care of by my university by shuttle," says Maëlle, who had to perform several PCR tests in a row, because she had a fever. exiting the plane. She was then installed alone in a dormitory, far from other foreign students. "We are completely locked up, so we only talk to each other on the networks", reports the Bordelaise, who has nothing to pay during this quarantine, since "everything is taken care of by the Korean government". But time is ticking off slowly.
Three times a day, "I get a meal by the door," and the rest of the time, the Korean bachelor's degree student handles administrative paperwork and her college enrollment. “I also write emails, I read and I watch films and series, portrays the Frenchwoman. It's complicated with the jetlag , there are 7 more hours, so I have trouble sleeping at night. »Three more days to go. "It's long, a little frustrating, but it's worth it", also judges the young woman, in a hurry to put the nose outside.
Rémi, isolated in Ireland with his family: "We don't miss anything"
Like Maëlle, Rémi knew when he left Ireland on July 27, that he would have to undergo a quarantine on his return, since he was going to a country considered at risk of the virus. This Frenchman, expatriate for 13 years, spent ten days with his mother, near Marseille, where the coronavirus is actively circulating. "The game was worth the candle and since I work in IT, it is quite possible to do it at home", agrees Rémi since his quarantine which is due to end on Friday.
His Polish wife also had to go into solitary confinement after a stay in her native country, but was unable to return to work. They have been stuck at home with their 4 and 10 year old children since August 6. "We have had a lot of feedback from people saying they were contacted by the authorities during their quarantine," explains Rémi, who has not received any of these checks. However, he ensures to respect this isolation to the letter: "Even if it was not compulsory, I would have respected a quarantine because we came from Marseille, where the cases doubled when we left. “On a daily basis, the life of the family who has a garden does not change too much from that lived during confinement. "It is still difficult to explain to the children that they can not go out," said the dad.
The family “doesn't lack anything” and has their groceries delivered to Ireland “very digital, where everything can be done on the Internet”. And then it is far from being an isolated case. Among Rémi's relatives, many have had to respect a recent quarantine at home. "Everyone traveled this summer, went to see the family abroad," explains Rémi, who is already anticipating what he will do on Friday at the end of his isolation: a barbecue in small groups, to celebrate his birthday.
Julie, humanitarian stuck in Bangkok in March: "A forced roommate"
This 14-day experience cut off from the outside world, Julie, a volunteer in an NGO, experienced it in mid-March. As the virus spreads, the 26-year-old Breton woman who officiated in Burma was repatriated to Bangkok, Thailand. "There, the borders were closed and what was to last three weeks lasted four months," recalls Julie, who first had to go through "forced quarantine" with eight other French aid workers in a small apartment. "We thought we were living in confinement which was not total, unlike France, but we were denounced," she describes. Some were smoking without their masks in front of the apartment and a neighbor reported us to the neighborhood authorities. "
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For 14 days, the foreigners, who did not know each other, had to live together. Only one of them had the right to go out daily for shopping. “It was a forced roommate, but it went rather well, greets Julie. We always had work, and being at eight allows us to renew our occupations. But we were starting to go around in circles… ”At the end of the two weeks, they took their temperatures to prove to the owner of the Airbnb accommodation they were renting that none of them was sick.
The humanitarian worker said he was disappointed to have been forced into this quarantine, when "we had nothing to be ashamed of, because we came from a country without a proven case". "It was not compulsory in Thailand and other travelers did not necessarily comply", also laments Julie, since returning to France, who is waiting to be able to return to Burma and finally say goodbye to those with whom she has worked. .
Laurent, Cécile, Lucas and Victor, from Canada: “We were apprehensive, but we didn't hit each other”
The great adventure. Cécile, her husband Laurent and their two children, Lucas, 15, and Victor, 11, left on August 5 to settle in Canada. A long-standing project, to which we had to add an unforeseen activity: that of quarantine. Since arriving on Canadian soil, the family has taken up residence in an apartment in Montreal and has not stepped outside. “At customs, we were only asked if we knew that we had to quarantine, since we came from France”, describes Cécile, recalling that the fine in the event of non-compliance with this measure , amounts to… 750,000 Canadian dollars. What to nip in the bud any desire to exit.
“We went through customs a bit like that, we were not asked for an address… But Canada relies a lot on the good citizenship of people, and then the fine is very dissuasive. As temporary workers, we would risk a return to square one, ”adds Laurent. His family must leave on Friday for the city of Lévis, where an apartment awaits them. Until then, all four are busy, even if "it starts to be long," insists Cécile.
“We have TV, Internet, tablets, phones and then we had card and board games planned. The elder also did a bit of sport on the balcony and we took the opportunity to do our administrative papers ”. The parents had also anticipated the proximity, at four, by renting an apartment large enough. “In France, during confinement, we worked and the children had school, so it was different. While there, we find ourselves almost destitute… ”, notes Laurent. "14 days non-stop together, we were apprehensive, but we did not hit it", also smiles the mother who, in three days, will finally be able to realize her dream of a new life.
