Coronavirus: Hong Kong law student living in Wuhan rarely ventures out these days, but sees no need to panic – or leave
- Chen Yijing and her husband seldom leave the house these days, mostly sticking to supermarket runs
- Law student says she does not plan to seek government help in getting home
For Chen Yijing, a Hong Kong resident in Wuhan, living in the epicentre of an epidemic that has stirred fears the world over is not nearly as scary as some might imagine.
Chen, who is studying at Wuhan University’s school of law, was among the many whose Lunar New Year plans to visit family were dashed by the new deadly coronavirus. In her case, they ended abruptly with the January 23 lockdown of the city where the virus is believed to have originated.
But while Hong Kong mainland affairs chief Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said on Friday that the city government was exploring ways to help the 1,300 Hongkongers spread across Hubei province return home, Chen has no interest in leaving.
“While the streets are nearly empty, the situation in Wuhan is not that bad compared with when they first stopped public transport,” Chen told the Post in a phone interview on Friday.
She noted long queues outside supermarkets late last week, with people scrambling for goods amid fears of shortages.