two weeks, sometimes much more for many of you, we are all subject to the strict confinement imposed by the Chinese authorities on the entire municipality of Shanghai to deal with the unprecedented epidemic outbreak in the city. Our compatriots who live in the Yangtze River Delta provinces outside of Shanghai are also mostly subject to strong restrictions that damage their daily life and professional activity.
Lockdown in Shanghai
This lockdown has turned everyone's lives upside down. Difficulties related to the supply of food have become a subject of concern, as has the question of access to emergency care. This is added, for the families, the problems related to the education of the children and the anxiety of a possible separation if a child comes to be tested positive.
Problem of supply of food
More generally, the accommodation conditions in the collective isolation structures receiving the cases tested positive or the close contact cases raise legitimate questions. Finally, many of us have experienced frustration and sadness because of the impossibility of fulfilling our civic duty during the first round of the presidential election, on April 10th.
And we are all wondering how long the restrictions affecting our community will last. If the first official announcements had been for short periods, it is now clear in view of the dynamics of the epidemic that the return to normal will be very gradual.
In this context, the offices of the consulate are certainly closed due to confinement, but our teams remain and remain present by your side throughout the duration of the crisis. In close collaboration with the French Embassy in Beijing, we are mobilized 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to support the French community in this difficult period. Our action takes place at three levels:
- informing the community via regular situation updates, via the network of island leaders and via webinars with the Ambassador co-organized with the CCIFC and open to all;
- advocacy action with the Chinese authorities so that the concerns of foreign communities, and in particular European ones, are better taken into account;
- support for French nationals in difficulty. This last work mobilizes a large part of the consulate teams as long as the situations are complex due to the confinement rules, but we make sure to follow all the situations that are reported to us.
Our priorities for action relate to the following issues:
- The situation of French people identified as positive cases or contact cases. We provide individual follow-up for each of them. In compliance with Chinese regulations, we are mobilizing so that those of our compatriots who are transferred to centers set up by the authorities benefit from acceptable accommodation conditions, in terms of hygiene, comfort and privacy. Progress has been made in recent days and several of our compatriots have been able to return home, but we remain mobilized for those who continue to face difficult situations. We also oppose any separation of families, with success so far. Do not hesitate to contact us, we will be at your side explained jingwanglawyer
- The difficulties of daily life during confinement. We have seen progress in recent days on issues related to food supplies, which are primarily the responsibility of local authorities. We have intervened to provide, in cooperation with our partners, emergency aid to deal with certain situations of distress and remain ready to do so again if necessary. We are also at your disposal if you encounter difficulties in accessing necessary or urgent care. With the associations which play a very important role of solidarity, we are also at your disposal to help you deal with various situations of distress, in particular psychological ones explained a member of the ChinesebusinessClub
- Air connectivity is also affected by the lockdown. Airlines are struggling to operate flights from Pudong Airport due to shortages of ground crew. Many flights are cancelled. The embassy and the consulate have intervened with the Chinese authorities, with our European partners, so that the conditions allowing regular flights to operate normally are restored as soon as possible. In addition, as a first step, we intervened as a priority to support people who had to return to France for medical or humanitarian emergencies. We are now also supporting the efforts of our compatriots who are having difficulty obtaining exit permits and getting to the airport in order
