Christina Fang, a Bay Area native who has been working abroad in China for nearly a year, returned to Shanghai Friday after evacuating to California amid the spread of COVID-19. Since Fang was traveling from San Francisco, which the Chinese government has deemed a high-risk area, Fang was subjected to several temperature checks upon landing in Shanghai and was then transported to a nearby facility to be tested for the coronavirus.
"I was flagged based off of review of my answers of where I've been in the last couple of days, as coming from a place where they had enough concerns," Fang said. “They had reconfigured an old gym facility and they organized it to different sections … then they told us we would be swab tested immediately.”
Fang, who tested negative, was required to wait at the facility for about 6 hours while her test results were being processed. The Chinese government then transported Fang to her home in Shanghai, where she must now remain under a 14-day quarantine.
You're not to leave the doors of the apartment
Christina Fang, Bay Area native placed under a 14-day quarantine after landing in Shanghai
“You’re not to leave the doors of the apartment,” Fang said. “I was given a thermometer and I need to take my temperature twice a day and send the results to a medical provider.”
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Fang has been working abroad in Shanghai since last March, but in January evacuated to San Francisco as the coronavirus began to spread across China.
COVID-19 has claimed at least 3,253 lives in China, according to the World Health Organization. More than 81,000 people have been infected in the country. The communist nation is taking unprecedented measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, including increased government monitoring.
There is going to be a a remote-controlled camera...that monitors my door
Christina Fang, Bay Area native working abroad in China
Fang said Chinese officials informed her they would be conducting surveillance of her home to ensure she adheres to the quarantine.
“There is going to be a remote-controlled camera that's going to be installed tomorrow that monitors my door,” Fang said. “My impression is it’s taken very seriously here.”
