The great divide among Asian countries

As Asian countries look to slow infection rates among citizens returning from overseas, the varying quality of quarantine facilities have exposed inequalities in access to space across the region.

While millions living in slums wait out lockdowns in cramped homes, Asian governments are also trying to accommodate tens of thousands of returnees who must be quarantined, using military camps, hospital wards and hotels.

"When the government asked Singaporeans and residents to return home, we thought that they would require alternative accommodation," said Tan Shin Hui, executive director of the Park Hotel Group, some of whose rooms are used for quarantine.

"To minimize health risks for their loved ones, serving the 14-day [isolation] away from them is probably the best way."

Singapore requires returnees from the United States and Britain to quarantine at designated facilities that are fully paid for. As guests cannot leave their rooms, meals are delivered to their door, and the hotels offer laundry and shopping services, Tan said.

Guests are required to check in with the government once a day and surveillance cameras are monitored to ensure guests remain in their rooms.

Marcus Chua, who was checked into a luxury hotel on his return from Washington last week, has posted online pictures of his meals and of his room that he said was very Crazy Rich Asians, referring to the hit 2018 movie set in Singapore.

"I would have had to keep away from people anyway and may have put people at home at risk. This is a much more comfortable way to do it," he said.

"It's also a brilliant idea to keep open hotels that may have otherwise had to close and lay off staff."

A few hotels in Thailand, Indonesia and Australia are offering 14-day packages so guests can "isolate in comfort."

Vietnam is sending tens of thousands of returnees to camps where they share a room with 10 to 20 others, while Hong Kong has designated three public housing blocks for quarantining high-risk cases.

Returnees in India forced to quarantine in hospital isolation wards and army facilities have posted pictures of filthy toilets. Some have even fled their accommodations, saying they feared getting infected.