It was supposed to be a short family break. But a five-day trip to Sicily turned into an expensive nightmare for the McKennas after their child continually tested positive for COVID-19.

The day before they were due to leave last month, the family followed protocol by submitting their two children to a PCR test.

Asymptomatic Nina, aged seven, tested positive for the virus, meaning the family had to immediately isolate for a fortnight.

And to their dismay, she tested positive again, sending the family back into confinement in Catania for a further seven days.

A third test resulted in a third COVID-19 positive result.

The family were finally able to return home after almost a month abroad and spending an extra €5,000.

Despite the family being in good physical health and no one else contracting the virus throughout their stay in close proximity, the psychological strain took its toll, said Elisa McKenna.

“I just want people to be aware of the risk when travelling with kids,” she told Times of Malta.

“Look into insurance cover and know that 10 days may not be enough. Have funds to fall back on,” she advised.

When the McKennas were told they needed to quarantine, negative reviews of the free COVID-19 hotel put them off and they scrambled to find an alternative location.

They managed to secure the apartment they had spent the previous night in. But they had to pay to transfer to a hotel the guests that were due to arrive and there was a cost for sanitisation services at the end.

They also needed essential items from Malta, such as laptops for the parents so they could work and entertainment for the children. These arrived via ferry and taxi. 

Another cost was car insurance, which had to be extended from a short holiday to one month. And they faced problems getting basic needs such as food, because of a lack of delivery services in Sicily, particularly during the Ferragosto public holidays.

“There is no such thing as Wolt and Bolt and we had to engage the services of a driver to buy us everything we needed,” she said, adding that they even ran out of food at times, with two young children eating non-stop.

McKenna said she struggled with feeling “lost”, in limbo, with no clear end in sight.

Bogged down in bureaucracy

Apart from a “few good souls”, phone calls went unanswered and countless e-mails were sent out to try to understand what they could and could not do.

“COVID-19 is bogged down in bureaucracy, while a lack of general communication, some illogical reasoning and mixed messages only compounded the problems,” McKenna said.

She pointed to extremes in red tape and how some approaches did not add up.

“COVID-19 is the same worldwide, so why do protocols differ so much from country to country?

“I think these situations need to be considered on a practical and individual basis and one should not just go by the book.”

'PCR picking up dead remnants of virus'

McKenna contacted every authority she could think of, from public health to embassies and foreign affairs in both countries, but felt she was mostly left to her own devices.

“The PCR was picking up dead remnants of the virus, which keeps getting detected despite the low load – every rapid test we did was negative – yet we had to remain abroad,” she said in frustration.

Looking back, McKenna would have rather done a more reliable, although unrequired, PCR test before leaving so that if her daughter had already caught COVID-19, they could have at least quarantined at home.

“We were staying in the middle of nowhere and kept to ourselves. You would never have known she had a virus,” she said.

“I have no intention of scaremongering and destroying the industry. But people just need to know the risks, especially before school starts.

“Think twice because you go through such a trauma,” McKenna advised, explaining that “even the simplest thing, such as getting food, becomes complex.”

As the days rolled on, the family played Monopoly – their one game – and invented others.

“I felt cut off,” McKenna said. “But my husband and I were in such a bad place that we just had to help each other. And somehow, we made it.

“He does not speak Italian or Maltese, so he felt helpless as I tried to figure things out.”

McKenna now understands how stranded travellers would go through any lengths to get home.

Finally, in the comfort of her Sliema house, with her daughter having satisfied all quarantine requirements, McKenna has lost her will to travel and has already declined a Christmas holiday.

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What to do if you test positive for COVID while abroad

Before you go

Understand what your travel insurance covers, Malta Insurance Association director general Adrian Galea suggests.

Some insurers have COVID-19 cover as a separate endorsement while others include it as standard, so make sure you know what approach your insurance company has taken.

Customers should never assume or take anything for granted, he continued. Insurance is a financial product, so they should “make sure the cover satisfies their needs and they pay for what they asked”. 

Make sure you can access money in case you have added expenses and can extend your stay away for longer than planned.

When you’re there

Different countries have different policies so educate yourself on your destination.

For example, in Greece, you must self-isolate for 10 days but if you choose to quarantine in a designated hotel, it’s covered by the state.

However, in Spain, you will have to foot mandatory quarantine costs.