When the most difficult is over: a Ukrainian in China spoke about life in quarantine and after it

In a pandemic, the whole world, from China to the United States, is experiencing similar problems and facing similar challenges. A Ukrainian living in Beijing told Voice of America about how quarantine went in the country where the coronavirus outbreak began, and how China is gradually returning to normal life. Next - from the first person.

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On November 18, 2019, in strict Beijing late autumn at a temperature of +15 degrees, we received a message from the landlords about the danger: “A fatal infection was found at Chayang Hospital ...”

Funny Chinese react so fussy to seasonal flu, my wife and I thought. Probably, they do not have mass SARS, since in Beijing humidity in the winter drops to 15%. So, we, like many others, ignored this message and continued to live an ordinary life.

All Ukrainian holidays happily “died away” and we were looking forward to the onset of the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year). This year it was much earlier than usual - January 24, and therefore January seemed like a continuous holiday. On January 22, we went to check the final preparations for the New Year's fair in a large park in the city. Surprisingly, the park, usually filled to capacity with people, was almost empty. They must be busy at home, preparing for the holiday, we thought.

But then there were even more “surprises”...

The spring festival began with empty streets. It’s good that everyone went to the villages with their parents, it’s a tradition, it occurred to me. The next day, Starbacks Café did not open. There is nothing to do, the Chinese have an official weekend until February 1. Well, well, and the park, and why is the fair closed? A virus has been found in Wuhan. This is far, wait for the 1st and everything should return to the usual rhythm of life.

On the subject: Features of national quarantine: how different societies behave in a pandemic

February 1 met us with emptiness ...

Everything is not quite normal. The work week was supposed to start today, but it doesn’t. Everything is closed, there are practically no people on the streets. We are on the news, and there are more than 11 patients.

We're going to the market - it's closed. The shop is closed. But Wallmart supermarkets are open. There is no panic, but the reality is becoming more and more clear. We started stocking up on food, but how much will we have? What if everything stops in 10-15 days? Okay, let's go shopping. Self-confidence grows.

“Don’t go out without masks. Stay home". This is not a ban, but a recommendation, but when you see empty streets, you understand that this is no longer a joke. The next day, at the exit from the house, we see a red ribbon, a message stating that entry/exit is only through the central entrance.

"Hello, will you deliver the water?" “No, only since February 10!” Going down to the lobby. There are machines with bottles of water (10 liters each). We buy 3 bottles (we are Ukrainians). The machines are empty the next day.

Another message from tenants: “Please go to the lobby with your passports and agreement and issue passes to the house.” For what? This is stupid! We have entry cards! Cards don't work anymore - only passes. Subsequently, we learn that all Chinese citizens on the Wechat social network fill out a daily form about their location. Any movement within the country is immediately punishable by quarantine for the entire family for 14 days.

Quarantine. We're staying at home. Dear children, your football training is canceled until the situation improves. The reality was fully realized. What to do, there is Netflix! But it is banned in China. VPN, DNS servers and - voila, at least one joy in life.

“Dear parents, in connection with the epidemic, school lessons will not continue from February 17! Expect the following posts. ”

I follow the capital's airport. One by one, all flights are canceled by the airline until April or until May. The only Etihad airline holds onto the last.

We are sitting for a week. "Good morning, today is the 10th, will there be water?" "No, we start on February 17th." Oh God, it can last forever. Everyone measures the temperature. People only go to grocery stores and pharmacies. The streets are dead. Nobody took off the New Year decorations.

We'll sit for another week. Children need air. I decide to take the children outside. What happiness! There is practically no one on the site and no one is pushing. We went outside for the first time in three weeks. They ran around and even sweated.

Masks are no longer possible to wear. No one else and no one else. There is no choice. We put on masks old, dirty, but we put on, as the decisions of the government are not discussed. It’s hard to breathe. We begin to freebie, lowering from the nose only to the mouth. Masked breathing becomes unbearable.

On February 25th, my delivery arrives, which I ordered on January 28th at a Chinese company selling goods through the Internet Taobao. But delivery to the house is not allowed, so all the packages are right on the ground and waiting for the addressee.

But something is starting to change. They promised to deliver water 30 minutes after the order. People appeared on the streets. The carriageway is still empty.

This is how we greeted March. Office workers began to go to work. First, those who have their own transport. The authorities ask in every possible way to avoid public transport, although they have never stopped it for a day. I decide to go one station on the metro. Anyone who knows what Beijing is will say that it is a catastrophically empty metro.

The virus appears to be backing down. Power begins to weaken the belts. Our favorite market is reopened and again filled with fresh vegetables and fruits. Now you value such things much differently.

It is already easier to get used to the regime of certain restrictions in force in the following weeks. We can go to the store, to the market, and even earned pizza delivery. We go in masks, pick up delivery goods from the street, watch movies, study at an online school, run around with a ball in the yard. Oh, holy Beijing emperors! Barber, you opened !!! Finally!!

Meanwhile, the world is plunging into darkness ...

Mid-March is our first attempt to go outside the area. That's it, it's decided, we're going to the park! We register online and... get a ticket for tomorrow. Access to the park is regulated. You can’t sit on benches, you can’t walk around without masks... But at least we’re allowed to walk, and we’re not at home.

On the subject: How the US and the world plan to return to normal after quarantine

Meanwhile, the world is changing our reality again. The number of patients managed to drop to 80 people and returned to 140. All new patients were withdrawn from international flights of aircraft arriving in Beijing. From March 15, all passengers are checked for the virus directly at the airport. All passengers are quarantined outside of Beijing. Patients, from the airport and with their suitcases, are taken to hospitals.

Educational institutions are still closed. In restaurants, people are seated one at a time at a table - even those who came in pairs. Restrictions in multi-storey buildings have not been lifted. All entertainment centers are closed (theatres, cinemas, galleries, tourist areas, amusement parks, etc.).

60 days on reservation, but there is still no understanding of what will happen next. Children are already starting to forget Chinese and friends. While they say that the lessons will be resumed on May 1, but this, perhaps, will be postponed. Several hairdressing salons and restaurants remained only signs and empty rooms.

However, after a significant drop in investment, agriculture and industrial production, in March the Chinese economy began to recover. Almost 100% of enterprises in such regions of the country as Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Shandong, Guangxi and Chongqing returned to work.

The government obliged the company to partially pay salaries to its employees during quarantine. Assistance was provided to more key enterprises of the country, it was possible to organize charter trains, buses and planes in order to return to work more than 4 million migrant workers. The farmers returned to the tea plantations and saved the harvest of spring tea, which is the strategic asset of the nation.

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