I signed off from Cristobal, Panama Cristobal and after I got off from the ship and was in the hotel, I heard the news that WHO had announced COVID-19 as a pandemic and that India had posted a circular stating that the whole of Europe is a high risk zone.
My flight had a transit via Frankfut. So I immediately asked my company to change this to avoid Europe my company promptly changed my flight via Miami, Doha and then directly to Goa.
Heaving a sigh of relief, I boarded the flight from Panama. Before that I purchased a lot of sanitisers and masks, which I wore at all times. I saw a lot of foreigners and locals not wearing masks or taking other precautions but I kept using the sanitizers. Throughout the journey, I stuck to the window seat as I learnt that a person sitting here was less exposed.
Once I reached Goa, I gave the necessary information as required for the medical screening at the airport.
As advised, I quarantined myself at home and kept social distancing even with my family members. Although, at this point, going by the attitude of the public, it appeared that not many were taking it seriously. However, I decided to stay extra cautious and told my wife and children not to come to close to me for a few days. They naturally got anxious with this, given that this is not how I usually behaved after returning from after five months. I requested my wife to tolerate as this time the situation is not the same and she obliged.
Then on the third day, I got a call from the Health Department, asking about my health status and was told that if I am well then that is good and that was the end of the conversation.
Now six days had passed and I had not heard from the Health Department again, I decided to relax a little bit and started spending time with my family.
However, the next day onwards, the country started acting more serious and the famous 1-day lockdown took place.
Five days later that is on my 12th day in Goa I got my second call from the Health Department. They asked me to report to them immediately as there was another passenger on my flight, who had tested positive for Coronavirus. I shivered and was numb with the news. The department told me that they will send an ambulance but then I said, I will drive myself to their quarantine facility. By this time, more coronavirus cases were reported in Goa and people became restless and home quarantining had become serious.
As I left my flat with my car, people in my colony saw and reported to the police stating that an NRI is roaming free. I then got a call from the PSI and I informed him about the situation and that I was already in the quarantine facility, a local hotel and not to tell anybody, as I had been advised.
From here on though, it felt like I was living my life on edge and there were a lot of thoughts going through my head about what would happen if my tests would come as positive. I was also fearing that had I had sabotaged my family, who were on their toes with their supporter taken away within a day.
The hotel facility I was lodged in was nice, clean and hygienic. The officials had earlier taken my swab tests and had sent it for analysis. The tests results took two days but in this time, the amount of fear generated in my mind was exponential.
Barring a close friend and my wife, nobody knew about my whereabouts or my situation. I was praying to God to clear my reports and to let me be with my family again. Incidentally, that night,the Pope had given his blessings to the whole world and I was there on my knees to take the blessings.
So later, on the 14th day in Goa, which included three nights in the quarantine facility, the reports came back and by God’s grace, it came negative. I was then given permission to go home to my family. It was a moment of happiness and I was filled with gratitude to God. In those three nights, I understood life’s greatest values.
Only discipline can save us and no matter what others are doing, you have to maintain precautions. You have to discipline yourself out of responsibility to your family and society no matter how complacent the surroundings area. And above all, give thanks to God.
Friends and sailors, please take precautions, while traveling on flights. Keep your masks on, avoid washroom visits if possible and use sanitizers very often. Do not touch your face while applying sanitizers to your hand. If you have the option, take the window seat. And above all, do not be complacent even for a single moment of your journey. Be disciplined as we are always. Stay safe, stay responsible.
