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WORLD> News
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Foreigners amenable to quarantine move
By Matt Hodges in Shanghai and Cui Xiaohuo in Beijing (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-06 07:32 Yet the majority of European and American expats interviewed by China Daily supported the government's response to the threat of yet another potential scourge in the wake of SARS, bird flu (2004) and recent reports of hand-foot-and-mouth disease in Anhui province. "It's a very big risk, so I totally understand what they are doing," said the Czech Republic's Ales Cervinka, whose Chinese wife is expected to give birth next week. "I think China is taking this very seriously because of their experience with SARS. Even watching TV with my wife and her parents, I can feel the Chinese are really seriously scared about this thing. "I also heard (that China is) trying to produce a vaccine, and that they have been fairly successful in their efforts so far," added Cervinka, who works for the Czech government. In Beijing, 27-year-old market researcher Dan Smith, who caught flu last week, was asked to stay home and rest with full pay. The American has also cancelled his planned holiday to Mexico next month. "Although no one at work thought my flu was H1N1, no chance will be taken, according to my Chinese boss," said Smith from his home in Beijing. "I think people are over-sensitive, but it is understandable after the SARS experience in China." The Mexican Wave, a 20-year-old Mexican restaurant that draws scores of foreign diners each day in Beijing, said the place continues to be full, except the management has taken off the only pork dish from its menu. "It's better to remove anything that might trigger discomfort for diners," said manager Liu Quanhai, who experienced SARS in 2003. A Mexican student studying at the Beijing Language and Culture University also said he did not see his classmates and Chinese friends being worried about his nationality. Steve Chan, who works for the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee in the Guangdong capital, said he was more concerned about the transparency of local governments than a major spread of the pandemic in China. "The measures taken by the central government are understandable in most respects," he said. "But there are two things which stand out as being too harsh: The forced quarantine of Mexican visitors and the lack of clear guidelines on how they decide which travelers are to be treated as a potential health threat." Harley Seyedin, the Guangzhou-based president of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China, said he felt comfortable and secure with government efforts to protect foreigners. "You cannot be too careful," he said, adding his chamber recently sent out a notice to its members on how to deal with the situation. In Hong Kong, foreigners appeared calm. Claire Fawcett, a 25-year-old Briton, said she is not worried about the flu spreading in Hong Kong. "As far as I know, only two taxi drivers have come in contact with the infected Mexican. I don't think it's a huge concern here yet." She does not plan on avoiding crowded places and says she'll continue life as usual. Margaret Zaidan who has been living in the city for three years, said she felt relaxed. "Hong Kong experienced SARS and it has what it takes to handle the situation," she said. The Whitehead family in Shanghai expects life to get back to normal soon, after the seven-day period, during which those infected should exhibit symptoms, passes. For the wife, the waiting game is clearly taking its toll. "Twenty people come to take my temperature twice a day. It's a little too much," she said. "At least now they are dressed normally. At first they came completely like astronauts in baggy white overalls and head bonnets." Qiu Quanlin, Li Wenfang in Guangzhou, and Peggy Chan, Teddy Ng in HK contributed to the story
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