First batch of CFB Trenton quarantines coming to an end

After 13 days under quarantine in a dorm-like roomat CFB Trenton, an Ottawa man is preparing to leave the Yukon Lodge, get some privacy and tackle a pile of work.

The man is among more than 200 people who shouldbe released from quarantine on Friday after returning from the epicentre of the coconavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China.

"It feels great. I've made it," he said onCBC's Ottawa Morning. "I'vebeenworried about getting any symptoms, and I think so far nobody has shown any, so it'sgreat."

CBC has agreed to protect his identity because he has family in China that he worries would face repercussions over his decision to speak publicly.

Throughout the almost two weeksof quarantine to try to ensure they wouldn't beinfectious, he's remained positive.

"You've got to make a choice, right? You can get angry at whatever you want, but it's not going to make it any better. So look on the bright side of things."

Canadians adjust to quarantine at CFB Trenton

5 years ago

Duration 1:59

The Canadians under quarantine after being airlifted from Wuhan, China, share how theyre adjusting to their temporary living situation at CFB Trenton.

The evacueeswere encouraged to keep their distance, so there wasn't much contactor even conversation.

"We see each other. We've been having visual interaction," he said.

Parents are roommates

The 290-room Yukon Lodgeabout 170 kilometres east of Torontowas built for military personnel and their family.

The Ottawan has had lots of forced alone time with his parentsbecausehe's shared a room with them.

"It's prettycrowded and inconvenient, but you get used to it maybe by 10 days in."

So, are they still talking?

"A couple sentences a day," said the man, with a chuckle. "We have our own corners of the room."

• 'Safe in their care': Evacuees describe life under quarantine at CFB Trenton
• What life is like under quarantine at CFB Trenton

The man's wife is still in Chinaand was not allowed to return with her husbandbecause she's not a Canadian citizen.

"She'sa little bit bored and she wishes she could be here.I wish she could be here as well."

Despite the lack of contact with the others, there was a sense they were experiencing a unique event together.

They were allowed to exercise outside in the courtyard, as long as they kept two metres apartfrom one another.

They were also given books to read to help pass the time. His choice? The political crisis of the Suez Canal in 1956.

He's also been reading academic papers about the coronavirus, officially known asCOVID-19, the respiratory illness that's infectedmore than 74,000 people in China and another 924 around the world, according to the World Health Organization.

That somewhat fits with the job he's getting back to: he has a fellowshipat an American university,where he studies biology.

He said the first thing he wants to do when he's out of the lodge is get caught up on work.

"I've got to get back into my life. I have a lot of work piled up from being on an unexpected vacation. That's been on my mind since the beginning."

He compared his "forced vacation" to being on a cruise ship and said he's been following the story of theDiamond Princess cruise, which had its own outbreak of the coronavirus.

"I feel really bad for them. I'm sure it's much worse than what we have here, considering they have many active cases."

Canadian passengers from that cruise ship that don't show any symptoms will go into their own quarantine at the Nav Centre in Cornwall after a brief stop to get checked in Trenton.

• Canadian cruise passengers who test negative for COVID-19 leave ship
• Officials try to head off Cornwall, Ont., coronavirus concerns

His advice?

"Try to clarify your rooming situation up front," because sharing a room could make their experience"much better or much worse."

He said in retrospect, he would have preferred a single room.