Life as a reporter trapped in Hubei, ground zero of the coronavirus outbreak

Authorities have locked Hubei down to combat the spread of the coronavirus epidemic

Post reporter Jane Zhang, who was back in her hometown for Lunar New Year, is one of millions trapped in the Chinese province

Reading Time:3 minutes

Empty roads in Enshi, in China’s Hubei province, which has been affected by the lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak. Photo: Jane Zhang

Published: 5:30am, 1 Feb 2020Updated: 1:18pm, 15 Feb 2020

As a reporter used to covering innovation and the fast-changing technology industry, I never thought I would be getting a taste of retiree life in my 20s.

Getting up early, cooking for myself, reading books and watching TV before going to bed – that is what my life has been like for the past 10 days in Hubei, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in China.

Just a short while after arriving from Hong Kong to my hometown of Enshi, near Hubei’s border with Chongqing, for the Lunar New Year, I found myself stranded along with millions of others when authorities locked the province down to combat the spread of the disease. Now all airports, railways, motorways and even village roads have been closed or blocked.

Lunar New Year is usually a time when online entertainment gives way to more offline activities such as karaoke and playing card games and mahjong with friends and relatives in person. This year, however, social gatherings have been cancelled to avoid people potentially spreading the virus.

A road blocked off in reporter Jane Zhang’s hometown, Enshi in Hubei province. Photo: Jane Zhang

This forced isolation has seen people turn to technology – new and old – to pass the time and communicate with others.

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