COVID-19 is rearing its ugly head again, with cases rising in pockets around the globe. In Los Angeles County, where I live, officials are threatening to reinstate a mandatory mask ordinance. How this will impact travel remains to be seen, but what is going on in China provides a painful lesson to every traveler…and human of good conscience.
Horrifying Video Of Chinese Man Dragged Out Of His Home Spotlights The Lingering COVID-19 Problem
A disturbing video has gone viral of alleged Chinese authorities in white hazmat suits dragging a man out of his home as his wife looks on in horror.
The man wanted to quarantine in his home, not a quarantine facility. Chinese officials in Hangzhou were having none of that and showed up to his house to drag him out. Hangzhou is a beautiful city…but oh how that city and that country has been turned upside down over the last few years.
The two men in hazmat suits scream, “Put the mask on!” even though he was isolating in his own home. Wrapping their hands around him, they yell at him to “cooperate.” The distressed man then continues to try and escape, but the authorities clamp onto his wrists and legs. He tries to grab onto the sofa, yelling, “Don’t push me! Are you crazy?” But the two eventually overpower him and he is dragged out.
No folks, it is not simply that China does things differently. China does things wrong. China, with its near-sighted policy meant to protect Xi Jinping ahead of his unprecedented third term, has created a far greater mess that directly impacts those beyond its borders.
I am heartened by the protests springing up across China, but those will not impact Xi. Just yesterday Xi made clear that he will not accept any western vaccines, preferring to rely upon the ineffective Chinese-made vaccines that was not developed to treat Omicron.
Now China’s daily COVID-19 numbers are approaching all-time highs (Pandora is out of the box) and ironically China is loosening some restrictions (like needing a daily negative COVID-19 test to travel on public transport). Should China re-open, over 200 million are predicted to contract COVID-19 with over two million dying.
And we’re talking now folks. This isn’t 2020. Do you really think China can remain locked down forever?
Why the focus on China on a travel blog? Because just as we rue the human rights abuses in Qatar during World Cup, we should condemn what is going on in China right now…as world travelers and people of good conscience who give more than lip service to human rights.
CONCLUSION
The next few months are going to be a roller-coaster. The pandemic may be over, but COVID-19 is still very much with us and as authorities weigh new protective measures against populations that have no appetite for them, the coming days could be unpredictable…especially for world travelers.
This is really pushing it as an aviation/travel story…
Agreed.
Wrong.
As China implodes, what do you think is going to happen to “the supply chain”? Most of what the world uses all day every day comes from China. Lack of iPhones is just the leading edge of what’s to come. This is going to impact travel, and everyday life.
I wish the Chinese people best of luck through the more difficult times that are coming. It’s going to be difficult for the rest of the world, too (though the world has become entirely too dependent on China for everything…we are about to learn another very big lesson about putting all one’s eggs all in a single basket).
What you’re saying also makes no connection with travel or the article and just jumps to that conclusion…
Talked to a doctor that is a friend over the weekend. Asked him about Covid. He said it is all over the place but people are not getting badly sick as before. I asked if people should get tested and he said nobody is testing anymore and it should be treated as a normal flu. Life goes on and it is now another virus among many out there. But some people are still nuts. I was at the gym yesterday and next to me at the thread mill there was a guy running around with a N95 mask on his face. Good for him.
While it is true that new waves of covid in the West are resulting in fewer hospitalizations and deaths, it is quite possible that this is at least in part due to the fact that a significant portion of the population has had covid and thus has at least some level of immunity, even if they are now infected with a different strain. The challenge for China is that their zero covid strategy means that a far smaller portion of their population has been exposed to any variant of covid, and thus it is quite possible that a wave of infections would result in proportionately more hospitalizations and deaths.
Regarding N95: Rigorous international study of N95 masks upends federal COVID narrative https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/highest-protection-rigorous-international-study-n95-masks-upends
Good thing the anecdotal advice of the one doctor you spoke can speak for the entire medical community.
Will be interesting if LA introduces a mandate. Will flyers connecting through LAX need a mask? And since 95%+ of travelers don’t wear one, will the airlines or airport supply them? What remedies will they have toward those not wearing them?
And, yea I said it, I agree with Aaron’s comment above. The potential mandate is the story here.
I of course have no idea one way or the other, but judging from last time, many folks either didn’t know or simply ignored it at the airport.
Heck. I had forgotten about the LA specific airport mask mandate when it was last in effect.
I walked right by an LAPD Officer and he wasn’t wearing a mask, nobody said a word to me and I boarded my connecting flight without a mask and most folks were not wearing one either.
I doubt LA will enforce it. They most certainly didn’t last Spring, and I’d like to believe that Garcetti/Bass are more focused on hospitalization count than case count.
This is called click bait…same as people
making fools of themselves on planes, except this isn’t really travel/aviation related
clear from the comments many here fully support the CCP, as they are trying to blame Matthew for posting the story
Right. The Associated Press recently reported: “Authorities maintained they would stick to a “zero-COVID” strategy that has confined millions of people to their homes for months at a time. Security forces have detained an unknown number of people and stepped up surveillance. In Beijing at the moment, for example, residents need to undergo a rapid COVID test at least every 48 hours at a government-approved facility.” True insanity. End covid hysteria.
No, not quite. Nothing to do with the Chinese government, just pointing out this this type of article isn’t quite what this blog is all about.
This is Matthew’s blog, so he’s the one who gets to decide what it’s about.
Obviously. Just as obviously, we are allowed to comment on how we regard the quality of the posts.
That is correct.
I’m surprised this article didn’t trigger the Wumaos. They’ve definitely showed up here in the past.
Do I think China can remain locked down forever? It’s China. They can. I don’t think they should but they absolutely can.
It’s shocking but so is christians being arrested for going to church during Covid, Australians having their homes raided by police because they said they wanted to protest draconian Covid restrictions, or Canadian truckers being abused. Speech is a crime in Canada and Europe; even telling the truth is a crime if select groups find it offensive. It’s funny how the mainstream media labels people who protest Covid restrictions and violations of bodily autonomy in the West one way but does the opposite with China. They say free speech is a threat to freedom here but complain about the govt. in China cracking down on free speech.