Not allowed outside

Well, we’re still here. It's the start of our fourth week of not being allowed out of our apartment compound. Today marks the fifth day of not being allowed outside at all. The only times we've been outside were for completing two mandatory covid tests; the megaphone blares and like good obedient citizens, we march outside. We’ve tested maybe 12 times in 4 weeks, all of them negative, all while not being able to leave our compound. At this point, covid tests have become the best part of our day now- any excuse for a walk, some fresh air and to feel the sun on our faces. 

The situation in Shanghai isn't great. Today’s number of cases has reached 13,000. While this number pales in comparison to the West, it is an absolute ‘travesty’ in the eyes of the Chinese government. The news makes dramatic claims, stating ‘Shanghai has fallen’. Since the lockdowns have begun, the cases have not decreased- so we begin to fear that the worst is still yet to come. The Chinese government will look for more ways to restrict and regulate its people, and at any cost - anything to stop the spread. 

Ill-prepared and no foresight

I’m surprised Shanghai was ill-prepared for this. You would think that after two years of watching the rest of the world succeed and fail with the virus, that they would have been taking notes in preparation. It feels like they shut the city down in an instant, without any thought of the repercussions. 

How will people get to hospitals for necessary medical treatment or emergencies? 

Where will you house thousands, maybe millions of people after you strip them from their homes? 

Where will the resources and manpower come from to implement such extreme restrictions?

How will people receive food and water if they cannot leave their homes? 

How will people purchase other essentials like diapers and medication?

Where will food come from if you force grocery stores to close and most staff to quarantine?

What disruptions will this lockdown cause, how will it affect the world of trade?

When I look around me, it would appear that these questions had never been asked.

Separating families

Disturbing videos and information have been circulating; I’ll be honest, it doesn't paint China a pretty picture. Footage has been released of the government ripping people from their homes, forcing them onto buses and into centralized quarantine. Far worse videos depict the extreme measures citizens are being forced to take to protect and provide for themselves. It all feels a bit surreal.

Some recent updates in the world of restrictions; centralized quarantine is no longer spent in your average hotel room. They’ve transformed massive buildings, halls, stores and even schools into quarantine centers. They’ve constructed makeshift centers from scratch and clearly, in a hurry. Imagine one big room with thousands of beds lined up in a row. These are places with no showers, no privacy, and a complete and total lack of comfort. Individuals are being forced into these conditions and worse, surrounded by thousands of sick people. 

Personnel in hazmat suits, with green lights from the government, are physically beating people into submission. People in need of medical treatment are being turned away from hospitals. To top it all off, families are now being separated. Children who test positive and parents who test negative will be forced to separate and the children are housed in a children’s quarantine center with a small number of nurses. 

This is inhumane and the people of China are outraged. If I was a mother, I would be on a plane the second this news came to light. Though, I recognize choices like that aren’t so simple. I sympathize with all the mothers in this city.

Poor priorities

At the end of the day, their approach shows you where their priorities lie - not with the well-being of their citizens - but instead with the crippling reputation associated with the failure of ‘stopping the spread’. It’s all about ‘keeping face’.  At this point, the virus is not deadly. No one is dying and more than 90% of the cases they are finding are asymptomatic. These people should be allowed to rest and recover at home, they are not sick. 

All of this chaos and harm is fueled by one simple idea, ‘zero covid’.  

While all this is happening, Jake and I have been alright. We have no children to fear for or threatening medical issues and while we are low on some essentials, we are perfectly alright. Apart from a serious lack of freedom, we have not been directly affected nor experienced the worst of the worse. We’ve been here for 6 months, 2 of those have been spent in lockdown or quarantine and yet, I feel we are some of the lucky ones. You have to laugh some of it off in order to survive it. It’s a shame, all of this nonsense makes us question our desire to be here. It’s difficult to not dislike a place when this is how they treat their people. 

I have never felt this way about any country I have ever visited or lived in. I don't write this to damn China and my aim is not to fuel any hatred or prejudice towards the country- which I know already exists. A country is much more than just one thing. Many factors shape the culture, atmosphere and experience that a country offers. China does have a lot to offer and I feel sorry that these extreme circumstances have ultimately skewed and tainted my opinions of the place. 

I will be cautiously optimistic. I will hope that in the coming months, things can change and go back to ‘normal’. I still want to give it a chance, but if I'm being honest, it's not off to a great start. 

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