Away but safe

Even as the number of COVID-19 cases in the city seems to increase every day, many places in the world are much worse off.

But there are even more people from the city who currently live abroad where the reported cases have been higher.

We spoke to a few of them living in these places to understand how they have been handling the crisis.

Staying home, worried Akshita Venkateshwaran, currently a software employee in New York City, tells us that while the situation there is bad, the state has called for a curfew from about 8 pm to 5 am.

“I am not panicking yet, although my parents back home are a little worried about my safety. Important stores are still open and I’ve stocked up on essentials. We’ve been told to remain indoors and I’ve been working from home,” adds Akshita.

Places such as New Zealand have recorded quite a few cases, people are preparing themselves for the crisis. Leonard Rohan, an employment coordinator who is originally from Hyderabad but is settled in New Zealand, says, “The condition here is stable and we’ve been advised to work from home. We’ve also been told to self-isolate ourselves in case of symptoms. So, I’ve shopped for all my essentials.”

Despite the boredom of sitting at home, Leonard has a good word for how everyone around him has been handling the crisis. “Everyone has been handling the situation very well and is compassionate and friendly. Of course, my parents back home are a bit concerned about the situation, but I keep talking to them and tell them not to panic,” Leonard adds.

Suman, who lives in Kitchener Ontario, Canada, has just completed his masters in web design and development. “I’ve been working from home for the past few days, but I am a person who loves hanging out with friends and I hate staying at home. But the situation here has not left us any option,” he says.

Suman also says his mum, who’s worried about him, hoped he could return. “But I’ve asked her not to panic because we cannot return yet. Soon, they will also be a lockdown in the city,” he adds.

Quarantined and waiting In Germany, the situation appears to be getting worse in the place Nikhil Mirlaya, a software engineer, lives in.

The educational institutions and day-care centres have been shut until April 20, and things such as masks and sanitizers are out of stock here, with no clarity on when new stocks will arrive.

“People are not taking precautions. We are advised to work from home as there is a travel ban, but it seems a little ineffective as people move around here without fear, without wearing masks,” Nikhil adds worriedly.

But some Indian kids living abroad did fly back home to the city. Shireesha came back from Rome after her college declared itself shut. Instead of panicking in Rome, she booked her flight and landed in India. “We’ve tested negative, but we were asked to isolate ourselves, and have been advised to quarantine ourselves at home for 14 days,” she tells us

Dasari Deepak, another student who landed in the city from Rome yesterday, talks about how Air India flight authorities refused him and his friends entry unless their tests were negative.

“We stayed back in the airport for three days, which was really upsetting as the embassy authorities asked us to leave in three days and there was no answer from authorities on our return flight. But then, a family from Kerala helped us with food and other essentials. Even after reaching back, we have been asked to self-isolate and people are even sacred to meet us,” shares Deepak.