SUVA, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The Fijian students studying in Wuhan, capital city of China's Hubei Province, have praised China for the measures to fight COVID-19.
According to Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) on Friday, eight Fijians still in Wuhan are in good health and are remaining indoors despite the lifting of the longest lockdown in Wuhan amid the outbreak of the deadly virus.
Eroni Duaibe, a Fijian student studying in Wuhan, said that they are not taking any risks and if not for the measures by the Chinese government, things could have been much worse.
He said that the lockdown in Wuhan has its advantages and the measures in Wuhan now is very good because it can curb another wave phase of infection.
"The whole city applauded, however, there is still a lot of restrictions which I believe is very good as we don't want another wave phase of infection. Though it may seem draconian, though it may seem very tough it did work, it did work," he said.
Like Eroni Duaibe, another Fijian student, Varun Kapoor, remains in Wuhan and has said that while in isolation, he had stocked up on basic food items such as canned food, pre-packed ready-to-eat meals, snacks and sodas, and the university campus also made arrangements for food to be delivered to the students.
Kapoor, who is studying civil engineering, thought that they are much safer in Wuhan than getting on a flight home.
"I think we're much safer here than getting on a flight home. You can't be sure about other people on these flights. Where they've been, who they've been with. So, it's a huge risk," he said.
He believes that life is slowly returning to normal in Wuhan.
Fiji's Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has said later January that they would evacuate Fijian students from Wuhan if and when the need arises, but the Fiji's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made it clear that they would no longer arrange to bring home the Fijian students studying in Wuhan because they were safer and healthy there.
Fiji's Acting Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Yogesh Karan said in March that the Fijian students were well-looked after and none of them have contracted the virus.
"They have been supplied with food, water and have been provided with regular checks and everything is okay as they remain indoors. As far as things are now, we have not received any complaints from any of the students there regarding any issues. So far it's good," he said.
Chinese Ambassador to Fiji Qian Bo has also said that these Fijian students are all in good condition and are being taken care of by the Chinese government. Enditem
