A lonely festival for ‘orphans’

CHINESE New Year is just around the corner but the Covid-19 pandemic has made it nearly impossible for Malaysians in China to return home.

Malaysians living in Beijing and other cities are checking among themselves if it is possible to head home or on how to spend the long festive holidays. Most have given up hope returning home.

Those living and working alone in China, who described themselves as “orphans”, are not looking forward to celebrating on their own.

“There was talk the Chinese government was opening up the borders soon as the pandemic has been contained locally. This is something I have been looking forward to since September.

“Unfortunately, it did not happen, ” said businessman CS Lim, who is pondering with whom he should have the reunion dinner.

“It is not like I cannot go back. But once I leave China, it will be very difficult to re-enter. Even if I could, I will have to be in quarantine for over a month in both Malaysia and China, ” he added.

Beijing and a number of Chinese provinces have recently adopted the 14+7+7 health observation model for international travellers.

The 28-day period includes 14-day of centralised quarantine, one week of home isolation and another week of health monitoring.

For those who do not live in the city they land in, it would be 21+7.

During health monitoring week, people are advised against leaving home and are required to report their health condition to the respective community office regularly.

Apart from this hassle, the probability of an anal swab test has made Lim, 43, drop the idea of travelling – even domestically.

Although the method has not been widely implemented, “you never know”, insisted the Pahang-born bachelor.

“Thinking about it scares me, ” he said.

China has started using anal swabs to test for the novel coronavirus because experts believe this method is more accurate as they found that the virus stays longer in the anus than in the respiratory tract.

According to state television CCTV, the technique was used on a “key group” from high-risk areas and those under quarantine.

As for now, it would not be widely carried out due to the “inconvenience” as well as being time-consuming.

Tan Chai Suang is feeling homesick although she’s only been away from her family for five months.

The member of China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra only obtained the green light to enter Beijing in September after she went back to Penang in January last year.

“I miss home. If not for the pandemic, I would love to have my reunion dinner at home, ” said the 30-year-old musician, who plays the French horn.

She said her CNY holiday would be ruined for a second consecutive year.

“I went back the day Wuhan came under lockdown (Jan 23,2020), I was worried that I might be a carrier, so I wore a mask at home and stayed alone in my room for 14 days, ” she said.

Homemaker Elaine Chong, who lives in the Shunyi district of Beijing, foresees that she will only be with her husband and three children, aged between four and 14, this festive season.

They have been the only people she came into contact with since December last year when a cluster outbreak was reported in her area, resulting in it being placed under serious restrictive surveillance.

“Taxis, e-hailing cars, food and parcel delivery services have all stopped, and I have not stepped out of my house.

“I plan to make yee sang and assorted vegetables for our reunion dinner, ” she said.

Chong, 48, is worried about her family in Malaysia.

“Seeing the daily number of new cases reminds me of Wuhan when the pandemic was first made known to the world, ” she said.

Meanwhile, the yearly chunyun – the balik kampung – exodus, which sees the largest human migration on Earth, has scaled down tremendously due to a series of strict precautionary measures.

The Chinese government has urged the people not to return home or go on vacation, and avoid gathering during the week-long holiday beginning Feb 11.

Following this, the Transport Ministry is expecting the number of travellers to be reduced by 20%, from 1.15 billion trips last year, and 60% lower than in 2019.

This year’s chunyun period is set from Jan 28 to March 8.

On the first day, the civil aviation sector handled 8,850 flights and 540,000 passenger trips, a decrease of 46.7% and 71.2% respectively compared to last year.

The national railway network recorded a passenger trip of four million, a drop of 66%.

Since movement control has proven to be effective in controlling the spread of the virus, let’s all be cooperative and stay safe.

Gong Xi Fa Cai.