Deep Diving

Z is a concierge at a four-star hotel in Hangzhou, China. After the virus erupted in China, and Wuhan entered lockdown, the hotel entered a state of emergency. Employees were mandated to wear personal protective equipment including masks and gloves, the hotel was disinfected three times a day, and paper towels were placed in elevators to prevent people from touching the buttons directly.As the infection became more widespread, Z watched businesses in her city shut down as people entered quarantine, but continued working because she “still need[ed] to work to
make a living”. Eventually, the hotel temporarily closed and Z took a “sabbatical”. While she initially appreciated the chance to relax, she felt that she was “[losing] connection with the world”. She missed her parents, who she hasn’t seen in two years, and her favorite restaurants. She also felt a growing sense of ennui from staying home. In order to alleviate her boredom, and bolster her income, she took a temporary job at a state-run medical device factory.Z is proud of the way that China has handled the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to slow the spread of the virus, “everyone was assigned a health QR code with different colors. If you went to Wuhan recently, you will be assigned a green color; then you need to self-quarantine for 14-days in Hangzhou. If you have been to places around Wuhan, you will be assigned an orange color and need to self-quarantine for seven days”. Because China has contained the virus so well, Z now fears the virus reentering her country more than it spreading within. She also has hope that Hangzhou will soon return to its usual vibrant state.