Job Discussion Forums

dan · Joined: 20 Mar 2003 Posts: 247 Location: shanghai

I am planning on leaving for Chengdu in approxiately 2 weeks and would like to know what i am getting into in regards to SARS there. thank you

ESL Guru · Joined: 18 May 2003 Posts: 462

As of yesterday I do not think you are going anywhere.

The army is blockading all major roads in and out of the countryside all over China.

Everything is coming to a standstill.

A new directive was issued yesterday restricting all foreign experts to their jobsite.

SARS has reached the hinterland in a big undisclosed way and they are not reporting it accurately. WHO is calling them on this to no avail.

They have been reducing the reported cases to reduce fears but the reality is in the new directive to basically halt all travel to and from the countryside.

They have panicked again.

roaming kiwi · Posted: Tue May 20, 2003 12:34 am Post subject:

Sooooo, if I fly into Beijing via Bangkok and I'm heading to a town (for a job) just one hours train trip from the capital, I won't make it due to the shut down?

Whaadaya think? August too soon to come? Confused

Hamish · Joined: 20 Mar 2003 Posts: 333 Location: PRC

I have just checked this rumor with the leaders of my college, good friends, who are in direct, routine communication with the Central Government of China. So far as we know at this moment, there is no truth to the rumor at all.

If information changes, I will forward it at once.

Every indication we have here in Baoding causes us to believe that the SARS problem is about to be completely under control all over Mainland China.

Regards,

dan · Joined: 20 Mar 2003 Posts: 247 Location: shanghai

okay, im hearing different stories. does anyone have definitive information, or at least as definitive as one can get in the grand old PRC? thanks for all your imput, past and future

kathleen · Joined: 24 Apr 2003 Posts: 38 Location: Nanjing

Dan, there is no such thing as definite information in this country these days, if there ever was. I play it strictly one day at a time. You can fly here from the States then you can fly to Chengdu from Beijing or Shanghai. Once there you have to get to your school. Will the school send a car to collect you at the airport?

SARS-wise things seem to be quieting down but the WHO used the word "wary" to describe their feelings about the situation. With new cases still being reported every day there is always the possibility of another large outbreak. You take your chances.

This is not the best time to be in China but if you want to come and don't have anything better to do then I say, go for it! Just make sure you bring enough money to get out if things get ugly.

yaco · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Posts: 473

Now the SARS outbreak seems to be subsiding, i looked into travelling to Shanghai for a weekend with a work colleague.

After discussing this with my FAO, I found out the following information.

If you travel to another province, it is your employers decision to place you go into quarantine ( notwithstanding road blocks ) not a Government decision.

I have Chinese friends and a foreign friend ( owns a clothing company ) who have travelled out of this province for business or family reasons and returned with no quarantine.

If you travel to Shanghai before us , please give a report.

Seth · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 575 Location: in exile

When I went to Shanghai last week there were several roadblocks along the way. The first one we didn't have to get out, but on the second one we all had to get out of the bus and fill out a paper and get a temp check. The traffic was backed up quite a bit.