A PEMBROKESHIRE man, who has been in self-isolation for 48 days in Beijing, has spoken of his experiences in China during ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Caleb Churchill, from Llangolman, moved to Beijing, initially for one year, which turned into six, and is now working for a state-owned establishment.

“I have been in Beijing since the outbreak and I’ve been following the news very religiously. I also have family still in Pembs, and of course, am talking to them on the phone, they seem very stressed out,” said Caleb.

“I will be honest, if you had asked me three months ago where I would rather be during a virus outbreak, I would have without hesitation said the UK. However, that would have been three months ago.

“Knowing what I know now, ask me again and I would say China, despite the fact it is the place of origin for Covid-19.

“The whole country has been extremely disciplined in its handling of the virus. They’ve kept away from large gatherings. They’ve restricted their social lives. In many cases, families have even distanced themselves from each other for maximum precaution. The streets have essentially been empty.

“As for myself, I have been in self-isolation for about 48 days now. I live in a gated community which is managed by volunteers who ensure only residents enter. In addition to that they also check the temperatures of anyone returning to the community.

“Passes were issued at the beginning of the outbreak to every resident to make sure the right people were entering the complex. It is also mandatory for anyone walking outside to wear a mask, that is also the case on the street level. Everyone has conformed.

“Schools are still closed across the entire country, but essential places remained open such as supermarkets. If you decided to go directly to the supermarket, you would need to wear a mask and have your temp taken before entering. Any reading above 37.3 would prevent you from entering.

“Some restaurants remained open but had a strict dining policy in terms of how many people dined together and seating arrangements were changed to ensure there was enough distance between diners. Despite this, barely anyone dined out these last six weeks, instead opting to cook from home.

“Most families ordered groceries online which were delivered no later than one day at the start of the outbreak. Once the sudden demand peaked, deliveries started to become more accessible and it became possible to have ‘same day’ deliveries (within one hour in most cases) after week two of the outbreak.

“Public transport was policed by underground staff, checkpoints were in place to check all passengers were adhering to the rules of wearing a mask and temperatures were taken, again anyone reading above 37.3 were not permitted to take public transport.

“Needless to say, public transport was not in high demand for at least the first four weeks.

“During this whole time, nothing has been inaccessible. Shops have been fully stocked including toilet paper and hand sanitiser. In fact, many shops have an over-abundance of sanitisation products.

“The only items which have been more tricky to get are masks, nevertheless the government has been providing free ones for citizens to collect at appropriate locations such as pharmacies. I myself haven’t been without a mask and everyone I know has a healthy supply.

“Technology has also played a big role here. Mobile Apps have been designed to mark known locations of virus reports on a map. Some workplaces have also been monitoring their staff daily by asking them to complete a health report daily on a health-based App.

“There is also an App which has the ability to know where you have been during the last 14 days, which can either grant you a green or a red pass. These are used as initial proof you’ve been staying put for the self-isolation period, of course every phone sim card is connected to your personal ID in China therefore it’s hard to trick that system. As well as all that, there are special health Apps that can direct you straight to a medical professional so you can ask any questions. So, technology has played its part during all this.

“The situation here is getting much better, people are growing more confident to go out. At this moment in time, there are more imported cases than domestic cases, which still offers challenges, but it is a sign of improvement and a sign that the decision to lockdown the country has worked, at least for now.

“In terms of salary payments and employers, there have been laws put in place to protect many but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been victims during all of this. I myself have been fortunate, I work for a State-owned establishment and I have been paid in-full since the outbreak began.

“It’s fair to say there wasn’t much warning for the world to prepare for all of this, even less so for China as a whole. However, all that I mentioned above was in place from the first week of the outbreak. Add all that and the two hospitals it built within a week and it is quite impressive.

“I know it is hard to defend a place that started a global outbreak, but I can defend its rapid response and intense measures it has undertaken to limit the growth of this outbreak.

“It’s true there is a lot China can learn from all of this, but I think there is a lot the world can learn from China, too.

“I just hope the UK is able to learn something, ‘herd immunity’ isn’t the right course to take.”