My Covid-19 journey from Taiwan to UK

My Covid-19 journey from Taiwan to UK

5th April 2020 4 By livinguktaiwan

My Covid-19 journey from Taiwan to UK

Due to the coronavirus, I haven’t been updating my blog much.  Don’t worry, I haven’t been infected.  It’s been chaotic times, and here’s my Covid-19 journey from Taiwan to UK.

最近因為武漢疫情比較忙碌,少了時間寫文章。首先,希望大家在這個不平常的日子裏,平平安安,身體健康。

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FROM TAIWAN TO UK

Some months ago I scheduled a long weekend trip to Singapore in mid February. The week before I was due to fly, the coronavirus situation in Taiwan was getting tense and I wasn’t sure if I could return to Taiwan. I decided the best course of action was to return to UK for the time being. Instead of a small suitcase for a weekend trip, I ended up going away with three suitcases not knowing when I will return to Taiwan.

幾個月前,我已安排了二月中到星加坡度過一個週末。出發前一個星期,武漢疫情在台灣已經很緊張,當時我擔心出境後可能回不了台灣,所以決定直接返回英國。 原本打算帶一個小小行李箱出門幾天, 結果變成三個行李箱不知何日才能回到台灣。

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My long weekend in Singapore extended to six days. I haven’t been for many years and took the opportunity to visit some of the new landmarks since I was last there.

我已多年沒有去過星加坡, 在那裡停留了六天。 闊別多年有很多景點以前都未有,順便去參觀一下。

Then I flew from Singapore back to London via Abu Dhabi, a city I had never been before. I spent 30 hours in Abu Dhabi visiting the stunning Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque before arriving back to London on 20th February.

從星加坡,我經阿聯酋的阿布達比飛回英國。 這是我第一次到阿布達比。雖然只停留30小時,但我絕對不會錯過機會去參觀華麗的謝赫扎耶德大清真寺。 我在2月20日回到英國倫敦。

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BACK IN UK

When I got off the plane, no one checked my temperature or asked where I’ve been in the past couple of weeks. There were a few posters on the wall about the coronavirus. That was it. I walked straight through immigration and customs like normal times. It was quite worrying.

I self quarantined myself for two weeks in London, going out to buy essentials only. Within those two weeks, the infected cases rose from 9 to 160. Stocks in the supermarkets were gradually dwindling. Hand sanitizer, pasta and toilet paper shelves were the first to go empty.

倫敦機場沒為入境旅客探體溫,亦沒有問旅客之前的旅遊史, 只有牆壁上幾張海報,呼籲遊客如果有症狀聯絡工作人員。 這個讓我有點擔心。

我在倫敦自我隔離兩星期,只要買必需品時才出門。 在這兩星期裏,大賣場貨架漸漸被清空。 搓手液,意大利粉和衛生紙首先被搶購一空。 而確診個案亦從9宗個急升至160個案。

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After my self quarantine I moved back to my home town in the west country. Fortunately my family had an empty flat I could stay. I had a place I could call home for the time being.  I live in a seaside town, and I always consider it is a luxury to stroll along the seafront.

自我隔離兩星期後,我從倫敦回到西部小鎮老家。 這個時候第一次感覺到回家是這麼幸福。能在小鎮的海邊漫步,實在是一件很溫馨的事。

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CONTINUING MY COVID-19 JOURNEY IN UK

Two weeks later the UK government announced the lockdown on 23 March.  We could only leave home for basic necessities and medical needs, to take care of the vulnerable, to exercise once a day, and to go to work if we really can’t work from home. Unlike some countries, there is no restriction on what time you can go out or how many times a week.

The panic and stockpiling got worse the following week. There was one time I grabbed the last loaf of bread seconds before someone else (not that I was racing with that person).  Luckily, no one has had to resort to fighting for food.  The lockdown seemed to have helped the supermarket situation, and a few weeks later all the shelves are starting to fill up again.  Even the toilet rolls are all back.  The other day I  bought two bottles of hand sanitizers. A month ago, a bottle of 600ml had sanitizer cost £3.49,  this bottle of 300ml cost me £3.49.

兩個星期後英國政府宣佈全國封鎖。 只有在某些特定情況下,如購買必需品或運動才能出門。 在民主自由建制 下, 政府沒有規定人民甚麼時間可以出門,或一個星期可以去多少次。 絕大部分人都會懂得自律 。

這個時候,英國也有人開始團貨,幸好沒有人為買糧食而大打出手。 這個情況維持了大概一個星期, 可能是全國封鎖因數,的確少人出門, 很快大賣場貨品開始充裕。 前兩日我還買了兩瓶搓手液。 一個月前一瓶600 毫升搓手液賣£3.49(NTD130/HKD33), 這瓶同樣價錢但只得300毫升。

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Sadly, the number of Covid-19 cases is on the rise.  As of 5th April, there are 47806 confirmed cases UK,  4932 people had died from the virus of which 619 passed away on the previous day.  Fighting an invisible enemy is the most difficult and no one knows what and when the end game is.   We just need to fight together.   Stay safe.

全國封鎖讓大賣場貨品逐漸回復正常,可惜確診個案繼續上升。 到今日為止(4月5日) 英國有47806宗確診個案, 4930 宗死亡個案。 昨天單一日就有619位人士因為武漢疫情而過身。隱形敵人的仗是最難打。 怎樣才能打贏,什麼時候才能打完,沒有人知道。 唯一可以肯定,這場仗一定要大家同心協力一起才能戰勝。