COVID-19 struggles - Stuck in Beijing since 1980

The “mystery” of the health apps

I already mentioned several times the issue of apps some localities would use to check one’s “health status”, one of my COVID-19 struggles.
I put on it some “WeChat/Alipay Chinese experts”. After two days of research, trying everything, like submitting pic of passport (later “approved”), trying all tricks plus research: the Chinese person called the Beijing government and was told “Yes we know, it does not work in Beijing for foreigners, unlike in other cities.” So. both WeChat and Alipay health apps DO NOT WORK for foreigners.

See some screenshots from both WeChat et Alipay trials (not in sequence)… Wechat is straightforward: you can only enter Chinese ID.
Oh well. Give up. But we remain open to more-clever ones on how to do it IN BEIJING.

How to do self-quarantine?

See this excellent instruction on how to really do your home quarantine. Many people talk about it but ignore the rules.
“How to Quarantine Yourself”
Yahoo News – The New York Times – 7 March 2020
https://news.yahoo.com/quarantine-yourself-152006399.html
the original: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/06/health/self-quarantine-coronavirus.html

Stay home unless you must see a doctor. No work, school or shopping. If you must come out of your room, wear a mask. And don’t share towels.
Read here:
200307 selfquarantine

Bloomberg 10 March: prospects are…

Manufacturing firms across China told Bloomberg News that they are close to being able to resume full production as domestic infections slow to a trickle, but are now facing canceled orders and fewer opportunities to gain new customers as the virus grips elsewhere.
“We are actually more worried about the development of the epidemic in Europe and the U.S., which will affect their domestic consumption,” said Mark Ma, owner of Shenzhen-based Seabay International Freight Forwarding Ltd. The company relies on those regions for 80% of its business, with about a third of the goods it handles being sold on Amazon. “China’s manufacturers have no big problems taking orders and producing, the main problem now is how the epidemic is contained overseas.”

Interview denied

I was asked to comment on this survey for an interview with well-known Chinese media. I said no. I am not one of those foreign sycophants (I systematically kick those off my media).
“20th ANNUAL EDELMAN TRUST BAROMETER”
Online survey in 28 markets – 34,000+ respondents total. All fieldwork was conducted between October 19 and November 18, 2019 (Chinese: did not see this? Well, that was before the bungling of the outbreak).
https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2020-01/2020%20Edelman%20Trust%20Barometer%20Global%20Report.pdf

Chinese now refer to this report to trumpet how fantastic everything is.
All while they now show more and more xenophobic attitudes and deny reality. Now we foreigners are deemed dangerous people in China, transmitting the virus (all while the most dangerous are Chinese returning from abroad). And there are too many of us, a threat to China culture and workforce. Now, dare say anything (we don’t) about the millions of Chinese settling in our countries, many with as good as no education and just good enough to wash dishes. We would be branded as racist, anti-Chinese, name it.
And of course China does not need to say sorry to the world for allowing a virus to become a world pandemic – there are enough conclusive reports about that (see earlier posts). Yeah yeah, the virus comes from the bad Americans.
WTF.

When is “back to normal”?

For me some very clear conditions:
– We can enter all our gates in our compound without ID and other check;
– I can resume my Old China Hands Monthly Lunch;
– I can travel to Phuket for a (working) holiday without being denied entry in Thailand nor to face forced quarantine on my return.

Some people do not think our situation in Beijing has anything to do with “misery”. Oh well, they might have another way of life. As I wrote on Facebook:
Maybe some people think the quarantine is “fine”, because they have little or no social life, happy to home school their kids and work online and only need some supermarket shopping. Well, people like me, we enjoy(ed) the intense social life in Beijing, the restaurants, the bars, massage, KTV, gym, getting stuff done, receptions, seminars, club meetings etc. YES missing ALL that is kinda misery.
It also explains why I am (still) staying in Beijing as Belgium is (was?) totally boring.

Welcome to Beijing?

When you arrive from abroad in Beijing, there is the big question: what happens? Quarantine?
Honestly we now cannot complain too much as other countries are much more draconian, the worst being Israel as it looks like. I already wrote about it several times, so I won’t repeat.
On another funny note: those arriving from Taiwan must quarantine. Because it is inside China travel.
See this revealing article:
https://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2020/03/10/beijing-capital-international-airport-sections-entire-wing-process-high-risk-flights

“Beijing Capital International Airport Sections Off Entire Wing to Process High-Risk Flights”
10 March 2020
“In its efforts to contain the threat of imported infections, Beijing today announced that an entire portion of Beijing Capital International Airport has been converted into a makeshift screening and testing area for flights arriving from those countries considered high-risk, according to Beijing Times.
The area, T3-D, was chosen for its relative isolation and has been operational as of midnight last night. It will handle all passengers on inbound flights from countries currently experiencing high levels of infection, a label that has so far largely pertained to Iran, Italy, Japan, and South Korea. However, the Beijing Times report does not specify which flights, traveling from which countries, will alight at this new quarantine area.
And don’t be surprised if you suddenly end up in China International Exhibition Center in Shunyi.
Do note processing in Shanghai airport has been, well, more than chaotic.
Read the article for details.