We, the members of the Dominican Students Council – China, deem it imperative to communicate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the lives of Dominican students in China. We aim to inform the general public on our reality and to clarify certain misconceptions. Further, this letter seeks to request the continued assistance of the relevant authorities to aid with the provision of basic necessities and discussions of possible evacuation of the students at the epicenter of the virus.
Official communication on COVID-19 was first issued on January 10, 2020 by the Chinese government. Wuhan, the epicenter of this outbreak, was put under state-sanctioned lockdown 10 days later. This effectively put over 11 million people under quarantine, the highest number statistically in human history – the clearest telltale of the monster that we face. There are sixteen Dominican nationals based in Wuhan; however, currently ten are stuck there – nine students and one employed. We commend the exceptional efforts of the Chinese government and the industrious spirit of its people in tackling this monstrosity head on, with everything! In effect, residents – citizens and foreigners alike – have been dramatically cushioned from the full force of this crisis in its consequences. That notwithstanding, the situation is grave, and has been emotionally and mentally harrowing for many.
Schools across the country have taken ad hoc measures to restrict movement of students, and assist students in accessing basic amenities. Generally, students based in cities and towns outside of Wuhan, and more so the Province of Hubei of which Wuhan is the capital, are doing fine. They are coping fairly well with the drastic life changes, and the high levels of stress thereof, mainly due to their access to necessary facilities. However, in the article entitled “Dominican students in China in good health says health minister” published on Thursday, February 27th, 2020 at 2:23 PM by Dominica News Online (DNO), the statement “All of our students, we haven’t had anything negative coming from them as regards to their health… their main concern is when can they start back classes,” is not only a misrepresentation of the students’ situation in Wuhan, but is also very hurtful to those who know that this does not speak truthfully of their conditions.
There are students in Wuhan who are unsure of how they will be able to access basic supplies such as clean drinking water, grocery items, and disinfectants when their current supplies run out. The thought of not knowing where supplies will come from aggravates the psychophysiological injuries of many. Declarations such as the one above preclude any discussion(s) of possible intervention schemes from the powers that be. It is critical to clarify that while no Dominican student in China has been infected with the coronavirus, the mental health of some students in the epicenter is far from ideal. The virus has taken an obvious emotional and mental toll, and a comprehensive health report should take this into consideration. After weeks of isolation, many are depressed, lonely and despondent. Contrary to the article’s claim that the most pressing concern for students is when school recommences, universities have already set up online systems that have allowed most schools to run classes in the past couple of weeks. However, many students have a hard time dealing with academic responsibilities due to the psychological distress and the yearning for mental and emotional relief.
The circumstances of students in Wuhan have been relayed, multiple times, to various Dominican offices and officials, including the Dominican Embassy to the People’s Republic of China, and Ministries concerned with Education and Health. We are grateful for what effort was made in order to reach out to the students and the financial contribution made by the government of Dominica. We are very aware of the reality of the challenges involved in providing aid to the students in Wuhan, and so our requests continue to be reasonable.
Evacuation of students from Wuhan remains the best option. Cognizant of current limitations of Caribbean islands to implement this unilaterally, we recommend joint effort among the CARICOM member states with citizens in Wuhan. Similar arrangements have been made by other countries who grouped together to get their citizens from Wuhan. There is strength in numbers, and cooperation of nations would secure a better chance of providing assistance to those trapped in Wuhan. In the interim, we would appreciate it if continued effort is made to provide some relief to those most afflicted by the epidemic. We ask for frequent and open lines of communication, so that information can be reliably passed on, and to avoid misrepresentation of the reality on the ground.
We remain hopeful that the epidemic may be swiftly contained, but our actions in the meantime make the literal difference between life and death.
God bless the Good People of Dominica and Our Government! God bless the people of the People’s Republic of China and its government!
This article is copyright © 2020 DOM767
