China retreats online to weather coronavirus storm

Grace Wu, whose nine-year-old daughter Charlotte attends the Shanghai American School, speaking during an web camera interview at her house in Shanghai. — AFP Relaxnews

Virus-phobia has sent hundreds of millions of Chinese flocking to online working options, with schools, businesses, government departments, medical facilities – even museums and zoos – wrapping themselves in the digital cloud for protection.

China remains in crisis mode weeks after the epidemic exploded, with much of the country shut down and the government pushing work-from-home policies to prevent people from gathering together.