In Los Angeles, the tribulations of a Shanghai Frenchwoman in the days of the coronavirus

Most American airlines announced on Wednesday evening that they were extending the suspension of their flights to China until the end of April, due to the epidemic of coronavirus there. The main one, American Airlines, justified its decision by citing the decline in demand caused by the Covid-19. Be that as it may, this abrupt interruption in connections between the two countries leaves many travelers "on the floor".

Julie Chevrel, a Frenchwoman living in Shanghai who had come on vacation to Los Angeles "for eleven days" with her Chinese boyfriend, is for her expenses. His return flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai, scheduled for February 9 on a United Airlines flight, has been canceled. She was notified by email "three days before her departure" . After two days on the queue, the Chinese reservation platform finally tells him that he will be reimbursed. This is good news but it is almost the only one because since, it is the most complete blur and the dilemma for Julie and for the couple is daily.

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The alternative to this day is to stay in Los Angeles or return to France, where his family lives, and where they know that everything will be easier, and above all cheaper: "It's nice California, it's good , there are things to do, but life is horribly expensive, ”she explains. She lists: “A roadside motel is $ 100 a night. If you take a slightly more decent hotel, it's immediately $ 170 a night. Basic accommodation on Airbnb: $ 100. In four nights we have already spent $ 1,000 on a hotel and about $ 1,000 on a rental car. In Los Angeles it's impossible to get around without a car and a parking space costs $ 30 a day. ”

At this rate, it is certain, the couple will find it difficult to hold out until the end of April, in the event of a possible resumption of flights. In France, Julie knows that she would be accommodated; she would have a computer and a car. But her friend is Chinese and therefore will not be able to come with her. "Right now it's 50/50," she says. We give ourselves until the end of the week to decide what to do. ”

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In the meantime Julia threw her little bottle into the sea of ​​social networks, especially with French people living in Los Angeles, and says that she was very touched by the many returns from people who wanted to help her. Someone offered to lend him his computer so that he could work remotely. What most of his colleagues who stayed in Shanghai do, moreover, since, explains the young interior designer, "most of the companies did 'home office' this week" to minimize the risks of contagion, and the measure should be extended for another week. Another good news for Julie: "My boss is understanding and tells me to do what is best for my safety."

Fear of quarantine

For the moment Julie says that she did not feel the fear of the virus in the people she asked on the spot: “They are understanding, they want to help. After, for housing, I don't know ... Often people can't, but we don't know if it's because of that. ” Julie also contacted the French consulate on site. “Above all, they made sure that my visa allowed me to stay there, but that's it. Since then they haven't answered me and I don't really know what I'm entitled to ... "

There would be a third solution, which would consist in returning to Shanghai via Japan or Korea, with a Japanese company, but Julie immediately dismisses it. "These are flights that last around thirty hours, with one or two connections." Julie especially fears having to be placed in quarantine for fourteen days upon her arrival in Japan, before having to start again on her arrival in Shanghai. The young woman says that she is regularly informed of the situation on the spot, with her friends, colleagues and via social networks. “Everyone stays at home, the streets are empty. The entrances and exits of the buildings are controlled by guards ... People have their meals delivered, which are left outside the door to avoid contact. I don't want to come back to lock myself up, she explains. In the United States or France, at least, I have my freedom. ” By evoking the situation on the spot, Julie finally said to herself "that she was lucky to be away from all that at the right time."