Lithuania shares experience: what happens when you get a positive COVID-19 test while on vacation in Egypt

Two days before the flight home, Aurimas and his wife were tested for COVID-19, and in the evening they received unpleasant news: their result was positive. In the morning, he was also examined for a rapid test, which cleared any doubts: COVID-19 was prescribed for Aurimas. How did it go?

The good news is that the Egyptian authorities are committed to looking after tourists who are diagnosed with COVID-19 while on vacation. The tourist does not have to pay for accommodation, food or medical attention. Aurim was quarantined at the same Titanic Royal Hotel in Hurghada, where he had rested with his family the week before.

“They moved me to a separate building in the hotel overlooking a street guarded by security,” Aurimas shared her story on Facebook. Although the wife’s test was negative, she was given the opportunity to stay in Egypt with her husband, but the family decided that she and their baby would return to Lithuania.

How is the quarantine routine in a hotel? It is not allowed to leave the room anywhere, only on the balcony. There is even protection against this so that no quarantined person can take a walk around the hotel.

Right, Aurimas 15 minutes He added that he was surprised by the attitude of a security guard. After receiving a call that the food had already been placed outside the door, he was able to pick it up, had the following conversation with the security guard:

– Aren’t you tired? I ask.

“It is as it is,” Aurimas replied.

– He came later, sat down.

– Maybe not, I’m sick …

– No matter.

“I don’t know if he was vaccinated,” Aurimas wondered.

The quarantined tourists received food three times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. “The food is cold all the time, because until it is placed, packed and delivered, it is cold. He’s really awake,” Aurimas admitted. Room: comfortable, good, only rooms for isolated people are not maintained.

You can only stick your head out of the room with food. If anything else is needed, you should call and take care of the administration.

“The hotel doctor had come only once,” recalls Aurimas. “He measured my temperature and gave me medicines, supplements.”

It is not allowed to leave the room anywhere, only on the balcony.

At the same time, there were more isolated tourists at the hotel, all from Poland. “A Polish family (husband, wife and a small child of about one year old) was quarantined in adjoining rooms; in the next room – a Pole; in another, also Polish; another Pole arrived before I left ”, said the interlocutor.

How much to insulate in a hotel depends on individual circumstances. For example, such a Polish family spent 10 days in solitary confinement, and a person before Aurima even spent 14 days. According to the Lithuanian, he did up to 5 repeat tests (each – US $ 90), and they all came back positive.

The hotel doctor had come only once, Aurimas recalled. – Measure the temperature and administer medications – supplements.

“I was lucky because I was only isolated for a week, thanks to the amazing guide from Novaturo Regina and her team,” Aurimas praised the tour operator.

– During that week, Novaturas learned from the NVSC that it was possible to return with a medical certificate from the hotel after 7 days. quarantined and asymptomatic (in my case, 11 days have passed since the first symptoms) “.

Then the airlines must make the decision: whether to allow a person with such a certificate to board the plane. “In my case, there was no need to take the test again and that certificate was enough,” Aurimas shared his experience. He also didn’t have to pay more for the ticket: Novaturas flew free.

At Vilnius airport, the traveler also requested a new COVID-19 test response (as it is now mandatory for all arrivals), but an NVSC representative verified the medical certificate and omitted it. The certificate became proof that Aurimas had contracted the coronavirus, so he did not have to isolate himself when he returned. It is true that his wife, who was already returning, was also diagnosed with COVID-19.

Aurimas considers where he may have been infected. Upon leaving Lithuania, they were tested for COVID-19 (as required by Egypt) and the responses were negative. In Egypt, they allowed you to stay in a hotel all the time, without excursions or shops.

His returning wife was also diagnosed with COVID-19.

“We could get infected while traveling to Egypt (by plane, at the airport) or in a hotel. The first symptoms appeared in Egypt on day 4.” 15 minutes wrote Aurimas. At first he thought maybe he was just overheating, then the temperature rose and the next day he did a test for COVID-19. The man got sick quite easily: he kept the temperature for a couple of days, but a small one, mostly 37.8.

The stress was alleviated a bit by the fact that you were not left alone in an awkward situation yet. “The Regina guide made me feel unforgettable. Through the joint efforts of her, my wife and I, we sought information from all the institutions,” said the man.

So for Aurim, the entire journey probably ended the best it could under such circumstances. The Egyptian authorities paid for accommodation and food during isolation, and it was also not necessary to buy a new ticket for the flight home. But he admits: “If I could go back in time, I would not fly. I experienced a lot of stress, anxiety during that time. The holidays were very good, very good weather and we were very happy until the day I found out I was sick.

If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t be flying. I experienced a lot of stress and anxiety during that time, Aurimas said.

And I wish you don’t fall into such a situation. When you have this insidious disease in another country and you don’t know when you can end up in the hospital … “

Obligations of the Egyptian authorities and tour operators

“We started flights to Egyptian resorts on February 20, and from the start of the flights until today, 7 of our travelers have received positive COVID-19 tests before returning to Lithuania.” 15 minutes Dovilė Zapkutė, Communications Manager for Novaturas, commented on Monday.

– To compare the figures, flights to Egypt are operated several times a week, with an average of about 180 passengers per plane.

The Egyptian government is committed to covering accommodation and meals for tourists during quarantine and, if necessary, treatment in public hospitals. People traveling together are tested for COVID-19 for free and in case of a negative test, they can continue their vacation or go to Lithuania.

For those who go to Egypt, we strongly recommend that they also purchase medical expenses insurance, which also covers the costs of treating dangerous illnesses, including those caused by SARS viruses.

From the start of the flights until today, 7 travelers from Novaturas have received positive COVID-19 test results before returning to Lithuania.

Tourists are assisted by our partners and representatives abroad: they provide information on where travelers can take tests, help to register, advise on how to get to the right place, whether the test can be taken at the hotel where travelers are staying – helps organize the whole process. We highly recommend all travelers to attend our meetings with our guides when visiting travelers at hotels. It is during these meetings that travelers receive information on how to test safely and quickly before departure and answer all questions related to security requirements in the country. “

Not all countries promise to take care of tourists infected with the virus, so buying special insurance is strongly recommended. Read more here: What if the COVID-19 test taken abroad on the last days of the holidays is positive?

The good news is that after recovering from COVID-19, tour operators will help take care of the return of their customers to Lithuania. It is true that this can cost more in some cases.

“We take responsibility for our travelers and are committed to finding a suitable and acceptable way for them to return from their vacation. If possible, we will offer to exchange the return ticket on the nearest flights with vacant seats at no charge or with a surcharge, depending on the circumstances.

In the event that it is not possible to offer return charter flights in Novaturo, we will look for alternatives for customers to return on regular flights at the lowest possible cost and under the most convenient conditions ”, said D. Zapkutė.

For travelers who have purchased only airline tickets or are traveling on scheduled flights of the tour operator, the general conditions for exchanging the ticket to return to Lithuania on a different date than the planned one will apply.