As the coronavirus outbreak sweeps across the world, overseas Chinese are now flocking back to their homeland to stay safe whatever the cost may be.
New pictures circulating on social media purport to show massive queues of travellers waiting to pass a border checkpoint to enter mainland China after the centre of the outbreak moved to Europe.
The surveillance images were allegedly taken on Monday at the Shenzhen Bay Port, the only working immigration checkpoint between Hong Kong and Shenzhen currently.
Beijing Capital Airport, the country’s busiest international air hub, was also filled to the brim by passengers arriving from abroad last Saturday.
A picture circulating on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter, purport to show huge queues of travellers waiting to pass the Shenzhen Bay Port between Shenzhen and Hong Kong
Another social media picture believed to be taken at the Shenzhen Bay Port shows the checkpoint flooded with people waiting to enter Shenzhen from Hong Kong on Monday
Many affluent Chinese fleeing the coronavirus pandemic have swarmed to rent private jets to fly to Hong Kong before returning to the mainland through the Asian financial hub.
This week, Hong Kong International Airport reported its busiest day on record for private jet activity.
The airport was nearing its maximum capacity of 30 private jets on Wednesday and landings and take-offs had reached their highest level, reported the Financial Times.
The Hong Kong government has required all international arrivals – except for those from mainland China, Macau and Taiwan – to be quarantined for 14 days starting from Thursday.
This week, Hong Kong International Airport reported its busiest day on record for private jet activity, according to the Financial Times. The above picture shows mask-donning travellers walking into the arrival hall of Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong on Thursday
The Hong Kong government has required all international arrivals to be quarantined for 14 days starting from Thursday. In the picture above, a traveller is seen wearing a face mask and a plastic shield in the arrival hall of Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong
Across the border, officials in Shenzhen have demanded Chinese citizens returning from abroad be isolated at home or in quarantine camps for 14 days. International travellers who have been to high-risk countries, such as South Korea, Italy and Iran, 14 days prior to their entrance must also obey the rule.
Shenzhen Health Commission reported two more ‘imported cases’ on Thursday. The authority said both patients had been studying in London and were diagnosed after entering the city via Hong Kong.
Shenzhen officials have identified 10 ‘imported cases’ since March 1.
Officials in Shenzhen have demanded Chinese citizens returning from abroad be isolated at home or in quarantine camps for 14 days. People wearing face masks to prevent the deadly virus are pictured standing in line for food on a restaurant street in Shen Zhen on March 13
A man stands at the entrance to an office building in front of an AI computer called ‘Smart AI Epidemic Prevention’ made by a tech company called SenseTime in Shenzhen on March 6
More people have now died of the coronavirus in Europe in the past month than those killed by the bug in China since December.
Over 3,500 European residents have lost their lives to the disease, including more than 2,500 in Italy, the worst-hit country.
In the UK, Chinese people are paying up to £21,000 for a seat on charter planes to fly home as infections and deaths keep surging.
One student studying at the University of Sheffield decided to return home. He said that he felt ‘helpless because there was a lack of actions from the UK government’.
‘People in the UK weren’t paying much attention to the outbreak at the beginning. I felt like it was dangerous to stay in the UK,’ Yao, 23, told MailOnline.
‘I felt much safer once I got on the plane and saw everyone was wearing face masks and cleaning their hands.’
Two women wearing protective face masks to protect from coronavirus are pictured taking a selfie while standing on Red Square in downtown Moscow on Wednesday. Russia registered its first coronavirus death today – an elderly woman who had been taken to a Moscow hospital
A commuter wears a mask while walking in London during the morning rush hour on Thursday
In the centre of the capital streets are largely empty as people stay away amid the pandemic
The news comes as Russia registered its first death of a patient infected with the coronavirus today – an elderly woman who had been taken to a Moscow hospital.
The 79-year-old, who had tested positive, was hospitalised on March 13 and had several other conditions including diabetes and heart problems, the Moscow health department said in a statement.
She died of pneumonia while being treated in an intensive care unit, it said. People she had contact with have been isolated, the statement added.
Elsewhere, London will be plunged deeper into lockdown within days – and potentially with just 12 hours’ notice – amid fears that the ‘superspreader city’ is driving the UK’s coronavirus outbreak.
After the daily death rate doubled to 33 yesterday, residents in the British capital are set for tighter restrictions on their movements – with signs the government will urge people to stay at home unless it is absolutely essential.
Globally, the coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 221,000 people and killed at least 9,117.