Dogs strolling in the yard. (Photo credit: Guo Jing. Used with permission.)
The following post is the tenth in a series of diaries written by independent filmmaker and feminist scholar Ai Xiaoming and feminist activist Guo Jing. Both are living in Wuhan at the center of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the links to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth part of the series.
Check out Global Voicesโ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
This installment was written between March 9 and March 10, 2020. The original Chinese diaries are published on Matter News.
Guo Jing: March 9, 2020
ๆจๅคฉๆฅๅฐไธไธช็ญ็บฟ็ๅจ่ฏข๏ผๆฑๅฉ่ ๅจๅไบฌๅๆ่ฒๅน่ฎญ็ๅทฅไฝ๏ผ่ฟๅนดๅ่ๅฎถๅๅ ไธบ็ซๆ ๅๅฐ้ฝๅฎๆฝไบไบค้็ฎกๅถใ2ๆ7ๆฅ๏ผๅ ฌๅธ่ฆๆฑๅคงๅฎถๅคๅทฅ๏ผๅฅนๅฐฑๆฒก่ฝๅๅฐๅไบฌใๅฅนๆ็ต่๏ผไนๅฏไปฅๅจๅฎถ็บฟไธๅๅ ฌ๏ผไฝๅ ฌๅธ้จ้จ็ป็่ฎคไธบๅฅนไธๅ ทๅคๅๅ ฌๆกไปถ๏ผๆฒกๆ็ปๅฅนๅฎๆๅทฅไฝ๏ผ่ๆฏๆ็ ง่ฏทๅๅค็ใ
3ๆ6ๆฅ๏ผ้จ้จ็ป็่ทๅฅน่ฎฒ๏ผโ่ฆไนๅๅไบฌๅทฅไฝ๏ผ่ฆไน็ฆป่ใโๅฅน3ๆ7ๆฅๅฐฑๅไบๅไบฌ๏ผ็ปๆ็ฌฌไบๅคฉๅ ฌๅธๅ่ฆๆฑๅฅน็ณ่ฏท็ฆป่ใๅ ฌๅธๅ ถไปไบบๆๆถๆฒกๆ้ๅฐ่ทๅฅน็ฑปไผผ็ๆ ๅตใ
ๆไธชๅจๆ ๆธธ่กไธๅทฅไฝ็ๆๅๆ่ฟๅทฅไฝไนๅๅฐไบ็ซๆ ็ๅฝฑๅใๅฅน็ๅ ฌๅธ1ๆ็ๅทฅ่ต้ฝๆฒกๆๅ๏ผๆฎ่ฏด่ฆๅฐ5ใ6ๆๅๅ๏ผ2ๆๅฐฑๆฒกๆๅทฅ่ตใๅ ฌๅธ่ฟๅๅค้ฃๆฃๅๅทฅ๏ผ่ฏด็ญ็ซๆ ่ฟๅปๅๅฌๅๅทฅๅๅปใ
็ซๆ ๆ้ด๏ผๅ จๅฝไธๅบฆ้ฝๅคไบๅฐ้็็ถๆ๏ผๆนๅไนๅคไนๆๅพๅคๅๅทฅๆ ๆณๅๆถๅๅฐไธ็ญ็ๅๅธ๏ผไผไธไนๅ ไธบๅๅทฅ่ๆฒกๆ็ๅฉใ
ๆไฝๆทๅไบไธไธชๅพๅฐ็พค้๏ผๅพ้ๆฏๅ ็ง่ๆผๆ็ๅฐไบบ๏ผๆๅ่ฑใ่ก่ๅใ็ฝ่ๅใ้ๆคใๅ ่็ญ๏ผๅพไธๅ็โ่งฃๅฐไนๅ๏ผๅไนไธๆณๅ่ฟๅ ็ง่ไบโใ็ๆฅไปปไฝๆน้ข็ๅ่ฐๅ้ๅค้ฝๅฎนๆ่ฎฉไบบๅๅฆใ
ๆๆณ่ตทๆพ่ทๆๅ่ฎจ่ฎบ่ฟไธไธช้ฎ้ขโๅฆๆไปฅๅๅช่ฝ้ๆฉๅไธ็ง้ฃ็ฉ๏ผ่ฆๅไปไนโใๅคๅๆฌข่ฟ็ๆฏๅ่ฑๅ่ฑๅญใๆ้ๆฉ็ๆฏๅ่ฑ๏ผๅ่ฑๅฎนๆ้ฅฑ่ น๏ผๅฏไปฅๆๅพๅคๅๆณ๏ผไนๅฅฝๅใๅฐๅๅ๏ผๆๅญไบไธไบๅ่ฑ๏ผไธ่ฟไธ็ด้ฝ่ฟๆ้่ๅ๏ผๅฐฑ่ฟๆฒกๆๅผๅงๅๅ่ฑใ
Yesterday I received a call from the hotline. The call came from an education worker in Beijing who returned home during the Chinese New Year and was restricted by pandemic traffic controls. Her company asked her to resume work on February 7, but she could not make it to Beijing. She has a computer and can work from home. However, the department manager did not approve of remote work and did not assign her work. The days are counted as unpaid leave.
On March 6, the department manager told her, โYou either come back to Beijing and work or you quit.โ She went back Beijing on March 7, but her company asked her to resign the day after. No other staff member in her company is facing a similar situation.
Recently, a friend who works in the tourism industry has also been affected by the pandemic. Her company did not pay her salary this January and February. The word is that the company will only release salaries in May or June and has plans to cut staff. They will call them back to work after the pandemic ends.
During the pandemic, the whole country was locked down completely. Outside Hubei, many employees also failed to return to the cities where they have jobs. Many businesses could not make any profit due to the market shutdown.
A resident from our district sent a photo to our group. The photo shows a doll composed of vegetables including potatoes, carrots, white turnips, peppers, and cabbages. The message on the photo says, โI don't want to eat these vegetables anymore when the lockdown is over.โ People are tired of their repetitive daily routines.
One time I brought up a question to my friends, โIf you had to choose only one kind of food for the rest of our lives, what would you choose?โ Potatoes and beans turned out to be most popular choice. I chose potatoes. Potatoes can fill up your stomach, they are delicious and can be cooked in different styles. I stored some potatoes, but I have not eaten them yet as green vegetables are still available.
Ai Xiaoming: March 10, 2020
่ฟ้๏ผๅฐฑ่ฆ่ฏดๅฐๆนๅๆต ๆฐดๅฟๆด้ฉฌ้ไปฃๆถโ็ซ็ฅๅฑฑโๅป้ขๅๅปบไบบๅ้็ฆป่ดน็้ฎ้ขใ่ฟไธชไบไปถ็ฑๅทฅไบบๆๅบ้้็ไปฃๆถๅๆฎ่่ตท๏ผไธคๅคฉๅ ๅผ่ตท่ฏธๅคๅชไฝๆฅ้๏ผๅฝขๆไธไธช่่ฎบ็ญ็นใๅฎไนๆ็ซๆ ๅ็ไปฅๆฅไธ็ดๆฝไผ็็ใไปค่ขซ้็ฆปไบบๅ่ฟ่ฟไบๆ็้็ฆป่ดน็จ้ฎ้ขๅผๅ ฅไบๅ ฌๅ ฑ่ฎจ่ฎบใ
ๆด้ฉฌ้ๆถ้็ฆป่ดน่ฟไปถไบ๏ผไปๆฐ้ขไธ่ฏด่ตทๆฅ๏ผ็ไธ็ฎๅคใ
ๅ ่ฏดๅทฅ่ต๏ผไธคไฝๅทฅไบบๅๅปบ็ซ็ฅๅฑฑๅป้ข๏ผไปไปฌ็ๅทฅ่ตๅๅซๆฏๆๆฏๆฅ800ๅ ๅ1200ๅ ๅๆพ๏ผ่ฟๅทฒ็ป้ขๅๅฐๆใ
ๅฝ้็ฆป็ปๆๆถ๏ผ้ๆฟๅบ่ฆๆฑๅทฅไบบๆฏไป้็ฆปๆ้ด้ ๅบไฝๅฎฟๅ้ค้ฅฎ่ดน็จ๏ผๆฏไบบๆฏๅคฉ150ๅ ใ้ฃไน๏ผ้็ฆป14ๅคฉ๏ผๆฏไบบๅบไบค2100ๅ ๏ผไธคไบบๅ ฑไบค4200ๅ ใ
ๅจ่ฟซไธๅพๅทฒๆฏไป้็ฆป่ดนๆถ๏ผๅทฅไบบ่ฟ่พนๆฏไปๆน็ไธไบไธๅฅๅฐ้็ๆน่ฏ๏ผ้ๆณๆถๅ้็ฆป่ดนใ
ไป้ๆฟๅบ็่งๅบฆๆฅ่ฏด๏ผไปไปฌๅนถๆชๅฆๅบๆฐ่งใๆถๅ่ฟ็ฌ่ดน็จ๏ผไพๆฎๆฏๆต ๆฐดๅฟๆฟๅบ็้ๅ๏ผโ้็ฆปๆ้ดๆๆ่ดน็จๅ จ้จ่ช็โ
็ฑไบ่่ฎบ้ซๅ๏ผ็ปๆๆฏๆด้ฉฌ้่ด่ดฃ้็ฆป็น็ๅฏ้้ฟ่ขซๅ ่ๅค็ใไปฃๆถ่ดน็จๅทฒไบ3ๆ7ๆฅ้่ฟใ
ไป้ๆฟๅบ็่งๅบฆๆฅ่ฏด๏ผไปไปฌๅนถๆชๅฆๅบๆฐ่งใๆถๅ่ฟ็ฌ่ดน็จ๏ผไพๆฎๆฏๆต ๆฐดๅฟๆฟๅบ็้ๅ๏ผโ้็ฆปๆ้ดๆๆ่ดน็จๅ จ้จ่ช็โ
็ฑไบ่่ฎบ้ซๅ๏ผ็ปๆๆฏๆด้ฉฌ้่ด่ดฃ้็ฆป็น็ๅฏ้้ฟ่ขซๅ ่ๅค็ใไปฃๆถ่ดน็จๅทฒไบ3ๆ7ๆฅ้่ฟใ
็ฐๅจ่ฆ่ฏด็ๅฐฑๆฏ๏ผไธคไฝๅทฅไบบๅ่ชๅพๅไบ่ชๅทฑ็2100ๅ ้ฑใๅฏๆฏ๏ผๅจ่ฟๅบ็ซๆ ไธญ้ฃไนๅค่ขซ้็ฆปใ่ขซๅผบๅถ้ฃ่ฟ็ไบบ๏ผไปไปฌ้ขๅคๆฏไป็้็ฆปใ้ฃ่ฟๆๆฌๆไน็ฎ๏ผ
ๆๆณ็นๅซๅผบ่ฐ็ๆฏ๏ผๆด้ฉฌ้็ๆถ่ดน้่ดนไบไปถๅฎ้ ไธๅ ๅซไบๅๅฐๆฟๅบไป็ฐๅจๅฐ็ซๆ ๅ็ปญๅฟ ้กปๅค็็้ๅคง้ฎ้ข๏ผ้ฃๅฐฑๆฏๅ ๅไธ้ฒ็ซ่ๅขๅ ็้็ฆปๆๆฌใๅฎ็ฉถ็ซๅบ่ฏฅ็ฑไธชไบบๆฟๆ ๏ผ่ฟๆฏ็ฑๆฟๅบไนฐๅ๏ผ
ไธพไพๆฅ่ฏด๏ผๅคๅฐๆฅๆฑๆฏๆดๆ็ซ็ๅปๆคไบบๅ๏ผๅๅปๅฎถไนกๅๅธๆถ๏ผๆ็ไน่ฆ้็ฆปใ้ฃไน๏ผไปไปฌ้็ฆปๆ้ด็้ฃๅฎฟ่ดน็จ๏ผๆฏไปไธชไบบๆถๅ ฅไธญๆฃ้ค๏ผ่ฟๆฏ็ฑๅฝๅฎถๆฏไป๏ผ
ๅฏนๅพ ๆ็ซไบบๅไปฅๅ้่ฆ้็ฆป็ๆๆไบบๅ๏ผ้ฝๅบ่ฏฅๅ ่ดน๏ผไปฅไฟ้้็ฆปๆๆใๅนถไธ๏ผๅบ่ฏฅ็ซๅณๆไปค็ฆๆญข๏ผๅ็ๅธๅฐๅบไปฅๅๅฑ ๆฐๅฐๅบๅทง่ฎพๅ็ฎ๏ผไปฅๆ็ซไธบๅ๏ผ้ฉฑ้ไป็ซๅบ่ฟๅ่ฟไนกไบบๅๆ่ ๅฎๆฝๆฉ็ฝๆง้็ฆปๆถ่ดน๏ผไฝฟไปไปฌๆต็ฆปๅคฑๆ๏ผๅฐคๅ ถๆฏๅ ้ไฝๆถๅ ฅไบบ็พค่ดๆ ๏ผไปคๅ ถ็ๆดป้พไปฅ็ปดๆใ
I want to talk about the town government in Ximazhen in Xishui County, Hubei Province billing workers who helped build the field hospital [Huoshenshan Hosptal] for their quarantine stay.
This story started after two workers posted their bills on the internet. After being reported in local media outlets, the issue got a lot of attention over the next two days. It also opened up a public debate about the issue of quarantine fees โ a bitter issue for many who have been quarantined.
The amount charged by the Ximazhen town government is not really that expensive.
Let us take a look at their salary first. The daily salary of the two field hospital construction workers was RMB 800 and 1200 yuan respectively (approximately US$ 113 to 170 dollars). After they finished work and the quarantine period, the local government asked them to pay for their accommodation and food during their quarantine. It came to RMB150 yuan (US$ 21 dollars) per day. They were asked to pay RMB 2100 Yuan (US$ 296) for the 14 days of quarantine. Together they paid a total of RMB 4200 Yuan (US$ 593 dollars).
When these workers were forced to pay for their quarantine, they left harsh remarks [for the authorities]: The quarantine bill is illegal.
From the perspective of the town government, they were just following the rules. They charged these people based on the county government's official notice that people should pay for their quarantine. However, in response to the public outrage, the Deputy Mayor of Ximazhen, who was responsible for managing quarantine, was removed from his position. The quarantine fee was returned back to the two workers on March 7.
What I want to say is this โ while the two workers got their RMB 2100 yuan back, what about the bills paid by others who were forced to be quarantined or repatriated?
What I want to stress is โ now that Ximazhen has returned the quarantine fee, which is the cost of pandemic control. The question follows is whether this pandemic control cost be paid by the quarantined individuals or by the government? [Note: Currently, individuals are required to pay for their quarantined fee.]Many medical staff members have come to Wuhan to help and they will be quarantined when they return home. Who should pay for their accommodation and food during quarantine? Should they pay or should the government?
I think those who help fight the pandemic and those who were quarantined should not be charged so that people are willing to be compliant with quarantine measures. In addition, local governments should be prohibited from expelling people who return from the epidemic areas or charge them extra fees for their quarantine. Such punitive measures would force many, in particular the poor, into homelessness. They won't be able sustain themselves.
Guo Jing: March 10, 2020
ๅๅฃ่ๅญ็ไบบaiยท่ฌๅป็ไน็ซไบๅบๆฅ๏ผๅฅนๆฏๆๅ็โSARSๅ ็ถ็ ๆฏโ็ๆฅๅๆไธๆฅๅ็ปๅๅญฆ็ไบบใไปๅคฉไบบ็ฉๅไบๅฏนaiยท่ฌ็้่ฎฟๆ็ซ ๏ผ็ๅฐ็ๆถๅๆๅฐฑ่งๅพๆ็ซ ๅฏ่ฝไผ่ขซๅ ๏ผๅฐฑๆชไบไธชๅพใ
ไธๅผๅง๏ผๆๅ ๅๅธๅจไบบ็ฉไธ็ๆ็ซ ่ขซๅ ๏ผๆฅ็ๅคงๅฎถๅผๅง่ฝฌๅๅซ็ๅชไฝ่ฝฌ่ฝฝ็ๆ็ซ ๏ผๅพๅฟซ่ฝฌ่ฝฝ็ๆ็ซ ไน้ฝ่ขซๅ ๏ผๅฐฑๆไบบๆๆ็ซ ๅๆPDF๏ผไพๅคงๅฎถๅจๅพฎไฟก้ๆถ่ๅๅไบซใไธๆดๅคฉ๏ผๆๅๅ้ฝ่ขซโๅๅจๅญ็ไบบโ่ฟ็ฏๆ็ซ ๅทๅฑใ
่ฟ็ง้ไฝ้ปๅฅ็ๅๆไธๆฏ็ฌฌไธๆฌก๏ผไนไธไผๆฏๆๅไธๆฌกใๅคงๅฎถ้ฝ็ฅ้ๆๆถๅ่ฎฒ็่ฏๆฏไธ่ขซๅ ่ฎธ็๏ผๆฏไผๅๅฐๆฉ็ฝ็๏ผๅฏๆฏไพ็ถๆไบบๅไบ่ฎฒ็่ฏ๏ผไบบไปฌไนๅๅ็่ง่ฎฒ็่ฏ็ไบบ๏ผๆณๅฐฝๅๆณไผ ๆญ็่ฏใๅธๆๆไธๅคฉไบบไปฌไธๅไธบ่ฎฒ็่ฏไปๅบไปฃไปทใ
ไปๅคฉ้ณๅ ็ฟ็๏ผๅฅฝๅๆจๅคฉ็้ดๅทไธไธๅญๅฐฑๅๅพๆ็นไน ่ฟไบใๅฐๅบ็้ขๅญ้ๅๆขๅคไบไบ่ฎธ็ๆบใ
ๅจๅ ็ไนไธๆฅผ้็๏ผไป็็ๅซ่ไธโฆๆไปฌๅ่ๅฐไบ็ซๆ ๏ผๅจๅ ็่ฏดไปๆๅ ไธชๆๅๅบๅปๆ ๆธธ๏ผ็ฐๅจๆณๅๅดๅไธๆฅ๏ผๅจๅค้ขไธๅคฉ่ฆ่ฑๆๅ ซไน็พๅ็ไฝๅฎฟ่ดนใไปๆไธคไธชๆๅๅ ไธบๆๆ่ดน็ๅปไธ็๏ผไธไธชๅๅๅคๅฒใไธไธชๅ ซๅๅคๅฒ๏ผ็ฐๅจ้ฝๆฟไธๅฐ้ชจ็ฐใ
ๅจๅ ็่ฏด๏ผโๅคช็ช็ถไบ๏ผไปไปฌๅพ็ ไธไธคๅจๅฐฑๆญปไบ๏ผๆฏๅพไบ็็ๆญปๅพ่ฟๅฟซใโไป่ฟๆไธชๆๅ็็ธ็ธๆฏ็ซๆ ๆ้ดๅ ไธบ่ๆขๅปไธ็๏ผไน่งไธๅฐๅฐธไฝใ
Dr. Ai Fen, the COVID-19 whistleblower, has come forward. She is the person who took a photo of the โSARS coronavirusโ test results and sent it to her former classmates. Today when I read Dr. Ai Fen's interview in People Magazine online, I took a screenshot of the the post because I anticipated that it would be deleted later.
After the original article was deleted, people started to share the same article after it was republished in other media outlets. But the republished posts were deleted too. Then people made PDF files of the article, so we can save it on WeChat and share it with friends. This article โThe Whistle Distributorโ has circulated in my social circle throughout the day.
This is not the first time, and won't be the last time, that we will see this kind of synchronized resistance. We all know that we are not allowed to speak the truth or we will be punished. However, there are still people who are brave enough to speak up, and we value these people and try our best to spread their messages. I hope one day we will not need pay for the price for speaking the truth.
It was a sunny today. The chill from yesterday is gone. Residents went out into the yard.
Mr. Chou also walked his dog downstairs. His dog is called Panding. We talked about the pandemic again. Mr. Chou said some of his friends had traveled out of Wuhan but they could not come back now even if they wanted to. They need to pay RMB 800-900 yuan (US $113 to 127 dollars) for accommodation everyday. Two of his friends passed away after they were infected. One was in thier 40s, and the other was in thier 80s. Their relatives have not gotten their ashes yet.Mr. Chou said, โIt happened too fast. They died just two weeks after they were infected. The process is much faster than cancer.โ During the pandemic, one of his friends lost his father to a stroke and he couldn't even say goodbye.
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