Declared positive for COVID-19 the day before her return from Cuba, a Trifluvienne was sent to quarantine in deplorable conditions. She now wishes to warn travelers tempted to go warm in the sun.
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Laurianne Gagné will remember her first experience in the south all her life. The 22-year-old traveled on December 21 to Cayo Coco on the wings of Sunwing. The trip went like clockwork, but everything changed the day before her return where she was told that she was positive for COVID-19. She, who was traveling with a friend, must be sent alone to quarantine. This is when the nightmare begins. “They came to get me at nightfall. Nobody told me anything, I had no instructions and they dropped me off behind a hotel. I was really scared. ”
The law student was transported to a dilapidated tourist building transformed into a “hotel hospital” during her quarantine. There, Laurianne asked for help, but never heard from her Sunwing representative. “In the six days that I have been there, I have not been able to speak to him. It’s annoying because when I arrived on December 21 I asked what would happen if I was declared positive, and he replied that there was no case here. “
There she must have slept in the same room as three strangers. She claims the food was so bad that she lost between five and ten pounds. Most of the time she had to be satisfied with hard-boiled eggs, cold meats, apples, bread and sausage. Not to mention that she had to wait two days before receiving toilet paper and soap. “Luckily, quarantined travelers helped us or we had nothing.” We also had to keep the garbage in the room for days. ”
He was even billed for bogus medical consultation fees. A nightmare that she does not wish on anyone. “I knew the risks and I thought everything would be fine anyway. I want to tell people that it’s really not a good idea to travel. ”
However, the situation has changed in the last few days. Faced with bad press and complaints from travelers, Cuba stopped operating hospital-hotels at the beginning of the week, underlines Justin Bordeleau, vice-president of Voyages arc-en-ciel. “Travelers can now stay in the same complex and ‘COVID-19’ wings have been moved in. “It will reduce the number of bad experiences,” said Bordeleau.
According to the vice-president, a dozen of his clients are currently in quarantine in the South and everything would be fine. But the problem was such in recent weeks that we have even received calls for help from people who were not customers. “These are people who had booked online and wanted our help. Unfortunately, they have to rely on their carrier and it’s more laborious these days. ”
These mishaps mean, according to Mr. Bordeleau, that clients will turn more to agencies to avoid unpleasant surprises. A balm over 22 months of misery for the industry, he said.
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