Shanghai Lockdowm #2

….my second 2020 and too lockdown update ….

Here I am …. Still at home. I have been at home since March 11 – it is not the first week of April. The government gave an official notice that we are on lockdown from April 1-5. During this time there would be no movement at all in the city – only very essential workers/volunteers are allowed out in the city. We also had to do at home COVID test and in person COVID test. Shanghai had the entire city mass tested- a city of about 24 million people. The city is closed. It is quiet. The streets are empty. The shops are not open. I look out my window and I see no movement. It’s so surreal to be living through this.

What else can I tell you? When we got the word days before April 1 that the city would close and that we would be in lockdown we had time to prepare- or so we thought! 24 million people all ordering and buying food at the same time? What do you think that looks like? Its madness. Apps were on overload, restaurant workers are working overtime, shops are restocking shelves hourly/daily – everyone is in a state of panic.

So, we spent the days leading up to April 1 working, and stocking up on food. Many apps wouldn’t allow people to order because everyone was ordering at the same time or because they were out of items. Amazingly, restaurants made deals and specials preparing large amounts of food to last individuals and family for a few days at a time. Soon restaurants started selling food items because they would have to close soon and couldn’t have people inside to eat. So, you could literally buy fruits, vegetables, and meat from your favorite dining places.

April 1 hit, and the city closed. We all had to stay home. I am still at home. During this time, we are all being mass tested and anyone who tests positive is whisked away to a COVID quarantine facility by local medical professionals or CDC workers. You have some time to pack a bag and prepare to be taken away. You don’t want to go. The center isn’t a fun place to be. From what I have read and seen it is an exhausting experience mentally and physically.

Now…. April 9^th has arrived, and we are still on lockdown – and it is indefinite. We DO NOT know when the lockdown ever will end. Pray for healing for this city. Shanghai/China is serious about this Zero Covid policy and if there are any cases- they remove you from the public to contain the spread of the virus. It is hard to be hopeful in these exhausting times, but I am really hoping in the next two weeks we see a change and a move back to some form of normalcy in the city.

How did we get here? It is surreal to be living through this two years later. Empty quiet streets. People fighting for water and food in the supermarkets. Stocking up to survive the pandemic. With the shops closed and many drivers forced to stay at home we are unsure of how/when we will be able to order food again. Currently, I have plenty of food – but things run out. Many communities/neighborhoods have been working together to order food packages in bulk/group buys and your neighborhood community leader will deliver it to you since we are not allowed to be out and about right now. Its wild here. We are connecting with virtual workouts, virtual Happy Hour, virtual meetings, virtual book clubs- virtual everything. Social Media and technology is a life saver in times like this – but we are not made to live in isolation.

What have I been doing? I cook! I bake! I read! I sleep! I do video calls with my students once a week to check in and see how they are doing. They really miss school and their friends. So its tough! We are all having a hard time. Parents are home with their kids all day. Teachers are home all day. Kids are home all day. Just about all of the city is closed. It is extremely difficult to do anything/.

#COVID2022 or is it #COVIDTwentyAndToo #Shanghai2022 #COVIDIsStillHere #COVIDNeverLeft #SurvivingTheQuarantine #IsolationLife #TheCityIsClosed -kinda #EmptyShanghaiStreets #QuietCity #Quarantined #SelfTestAreHereToo #thankfulfortechnology #moviesandbooksandtvandcooking #virtualbookclubs #virtualhappyhour #virtualhangoutswithfriends

To Everyone who has reached out – thank you so much. So much is happening all around the world … and we here in Shanghai are still dealing with the effects of COVID and being locked down to avoid the spread of the epidemic. Here’s to looking towards better days.