Combating coronavirus: After a 29-hour trip, mum completes procedures at Dubai airport in 20 mins

Dubai - Shehna's husband, Mansoor, also got his ICA approval on May 31 and is expected to return to Dubai in a day or two.

On Monday, thousands of UAE residents, who have been stranded abroad since late March, began their journey home. For many, it came after an increasingly exasperating and harrowing wait of at least 70 days.
Take Shehna Mansoor and her husband Mansoor Ali Karattu Chalil, an Indian couple running a business in Dubai. Stuck in Lisbon, Portugal, since March 11, Shehna finally made it back to the UAE on Wednesday (May 28) after a tedious 29-hour long journey.
However, the fatigue vanished once Shehna landed in Dubai. A relieved Shehna praised the efficiency of the Dubai Airport authorities as she was out of the airport in a matter of just 20 minutes, even after undergoing a Covid-19 swab test. Her first Covid-19 test has returned negative and she is now waiting to undergo the second test.
'Got ICA nod a day before Eid'
Following the Khaleej Times report about the couple's plight on April 10, Shehna finally got an approval from the ICA Smart Services on May 25, a day before Eid Al Fitr.
Speaking to Khaleej Times from a quarantine hotel facility in Dubai, Shehna, a mother of three, said she cannot wait to meet her children and parents finally. Shehna's husband, Mansoor, also got his ICA approval on May 31 and is expected to return to Dubai in a day or two.
"After months of waiting, I got the e-mail after I broke my fast the day before Eid. I decided to travel immediately as it has been months since my children are alone with their aged grandparents," said Shehna. She added: "Since there are no direct flights from Lisbon to Dubai, I had to take a flight to Frankfurt, Germany; wait at the airport for 19 hours to catch the next flight to Dubai."
'Had to fill out two forms'
Since she was warned no shops would be open at the international terminals, Shehna armed herself with food, snacks, and bottles of water. "There were hardly any passengers at the Frankfurt airport, making the 19-hour layover very stressful. It was like a ghost town," she added. Along with the other passengers who were returning to Dubai, Shehna said there was plenty of distance maintained between each passenger and all airline staff were in personal protective equipment (PPE).
"There were few passengers on board, so it was easy to maintain distance," she added. Before landing, Shehna had to fill out two forms; one was an undertaking that she would follow all health and safety guidelines regarding quarantine. "The second was about my general health and contact tracing, including if I had Covid-19 symptoms," she explained.
"The next step was a temperature and nasal swab test, following which we moved to immigration. I was allowed to use the e-gate; however, since my passport wasn't working, I moved to an immigration counter," she added.
Police escort to quarantine facility
All the airport staff were decked in PPE. Shehna collected her baggage. "We didn't interact too much with anyone, and the entire process was swift, and I felt well-guided," she pointed out. She was later guided to the exit and was placed in a pre-paid airport cab and transferred to a quarantine facility with a Dubai Police escort. "At the hotel, food is served through a contactless service. If my family wants to drop something off for me, they can do so at the reception, and it will be delivered to my room," she said.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com 

• Dubai