An Australian man who has been in lockdown in China has issued a warning to Australians as he is allowed outside for the first time in ten weeks.
Tim McLean, from Ulladulla on the New South Wales south coast, was confined to his small apartment in Ezhou in Hubei after authorities put the region into lockdown earlier this year.
Hubei province in China is ground zero for the COVID-19 outbreak which has now spread across the globe and infected more than 400,000 people.
The 52-year-old moved to the province last year to be with his partner Qiong Xu just months before the outbreak began.
An Australian man issued a stark warning from his home in the Hubei province, China
In a video uploaded to YouTube on Friday, Mr McLean revealed the lockdown restrictions were being eased and he and Ms Xu were allowed outside for their first supermarket shop in two months.
‘I’ve unfortunately been through this for the last two-and-a-half months and you guys are unfortunately just going into it,’ Mr McLean said.
He said he was given a pass which allowed him out of lockdown for one hour a day.
In the footage crowds can be seen lining up outside the supermarket in the city as officials check their temperature with thermal scanners.
Inside the supermarket the checkout workers can be seen wearing full protective hygiene gear including facemasks, gloves, and medical gowns.
Despite the precautions, Mr McLean said he did not witness any panic-buying.
‘Look no chaos,’ he can be heard saying on the video, adding that Australians should take note.
Tim McLean, from Ulladulla on the New South Wales south coast, was confined to his small apartment in Ezhou in Hubei after authorities put the region into lockdown earlier this year
Mr McLean assured people that, as someone who had been through the coronavirus lockdowns, they should remain calm.
‘Relax, prepare, keep yourself busy, and keep positive.’
‘If I can survive 100 metres from a hospital full of coronavirus victims anybody can, just take precautions,’ Mr McLean said.
Food had been delivered to Mr McLean and Ms Xu through a network of shops organised by the Chinese government while they were confined to their apartment.
He has previously said Chinese authorities severe lockdown restrictions were effective at halting the spread of the virus.
‘Out of 30million people the numbers are pretty low. The government’s extraordinary measures with this have been really effective. We’re in lockdown to stop other people getting to us and us getting to other people,’ he said.
In Australia, the federal government on Monday imposed lockdown restrictions forcing businesses such as restaurants, pubs, gyms and cinemas to close.
They have also brought in measures to limit social gatherings, close borders, and quarantine people returning from overseas.
Packs of sanitiser wipes can be seen in the Chinese supoermarket as checkout workers wear full protective gear
Source: dailymail UK
