So we're (sort of) back to work here in Shanghai

A scene from Star Wars, where the Jedi Council is having a meeting. We see a hologram of a jedi, sitting in a chair next to Yoda and Obi-Wan. Image text: "Working from home: One of the perks of being on the Jedi Council." Image source.

As I said in a previous post, the city of Shanghai extended the Chinese New Year holiday, to stop the coronavirus from spreading. They said we would go back to work February 10 instead of January 31.

So the morning of February 10, off I went, to take the subway and go to work.

My husband, Hendrix, was told that he has to work from home this week. (Don't know why, because we haven't traveled. People who traveled recently are being told they have to self-quarantine at home for 14 days.) Also, most of the people in my team at work decided to work from home this week. But I did not, for a few reasons: First of all, I needed some stuff at the office. Second, oh geez I am so tired of sitting here at home. Seriously, I have only left the apartment a handful of times since January 24, and only for essential things like groceries. And third, Hendrix was using the good desk. If I work from home, well where am I gonna sit?

So I got my mask and hand sanitizer and all that, and off I went on Monday morning.

I felt so nervous just walking from my apartment to the subway. Trying not to walk too close to anyone, or breathe the same air as anyone. The subway was EXTREMELY EMPTY. Like, it was supposedly rush hour and we are supposedly back to work, but there were only a few people. Maybe 90% of the seats were empty. And every single person was wearing a mask.

I got to the building where I work, and on the first-floor entrance there was a table set up where the security guards are taking everyone's temperature and asking everyone to sign in. (They use a no-contact forehead thermometer.) And no, it wasn't crowded at all. Barely anyone there. Also, there were signs posted about how the elevator buttons are being disinfected every half hour.

I got to the office, and there were only a few people there, and we all continued to wear masks. And the windows were open, because ... reasons? Don't want to breathe the same air as everyone else in the building? Umm, okay? It was probably 50 degrees outside though. Very unpleasant. That's when I decided yep, I'll be working from home the rest of the week. (And my project manager also said I might as well work from home because, and I quote, "no one is here.")

At the end of the day on Monday, I went to the subway station and the security guard checked my temperature. Yes, they're checking everyone's temperature, but no, it doesn't cause delays because there are SO FEW people there anyway. Not every subway station is checking temperatures; I think it's mostly the bigger/busier ones.

Hendrix works in HR, so he's been busy with all the things that companies have to do to adapt to this. Like fielding everyone's questions about "I am working from home but I don't know how to access this or that software." And keeping track of which of the employees have traveled and whether they have any suspicious symptoms. At my job, everyone who traveled during Chinese New Year is required to send HR an update every day about if they have any coronavirus symptoms.

I hear a lot of things on social media. Apparently some apartment complexes now have rules where each household can only send 1 person out for groceries 1 time every 3 days. Not sure if that's happening in Shanghai or not- the people who were talking about it live in Beijing. Also I heard from several people who have flown out of Shanghai during the past few days- the airport was pretty empty, and the planes were pretty empty. Lots of flights have been cancelled; it seems like that's because demand is so low.

It isn't good how we're all paranoid every time we walk past a stranger on the street. And it really really worries me how we have all these new rules now- restrictions on where we're allowed to go and when, and we can't turn on the heat in office buildings apparently. Like, who is making these rules? Just whoever happens to be working as a security guard in a little local apartment complex? Umm, I would like the rules to be made by actual health experts. Because this feels like we're losing our freedom because of things that aren't actually helping prevent the spread of the virus. I don't like it.

So I worked from home yesterday and today (Tuesday and Wednesday). I'll stay home the rest of the week, and then we'll see what the situation is next Monday.

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All my posts about COVID-19:
I'm in Shanghai, and I'm concerned about the coronavirus (January 23)
An update on the situation in Shanghai (January 28)
About Compassion and Reading the News (January 29)
Welcome Baby Square Root! (February 3)
Remember the old days when we used to go outside? (February 4)
So we're (sort of) back to work here in Shanghai (February 12)
Blogaround (February 13)
Blogaround (February 20)
Shanghai is a good place for immigrants. (And I have feelings about it.) (February 24)
Blogaround (February 27)
Well *now* I'm glad I stayed in China (March 8)
The Weirdest Deja Vu (March 15)
Blogaround (March 19)
I'm an American in China. I CANNOT BELIEVE Some of You Are Still Going Out. (March 22)
Blogaround (March 25)
China Bans Foreigners (Like Me) From Entering the Country (March 29)
List of People Who Are Not Allowed to Call Themselves "Pro-Life" (April 2)
Blogaround (April 3)
... all right now I have way too many posts to keep updating this list. You can find them all on the COVID-19 tag.