An Australian man who has been trapped in Wuhan amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak has shared footage of his daring foray into the city after spending weeks in quarantine.
Daniel Ou Yang, from Sydney, is among the 600 Australians who remain stuck in the Chinese city after it was placed into lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus.
For two weeks, the 21-year-old, who was visiting his grandparents, has been unable to leave his home as residents have been told to not even open their doors.
Mr Yang stepped outside for the first time to buy food and necessities on Thursday, only to find empty shelves at the supermarket, deserted streets and few supplies left.
Daniel Ou Yang (pictured) was visiting his grandparents when he became trapped in the city after it was placed into lockdown to prevent the spread of the deadly virus
The 21-year-old from Sydney, shared a video of his foray into the city where he found empty shelves at the supermarket, deserted streets and little supplies
Mr Yang admitted he had been ‘nervous’ about venturing into ground zero of the deadly virus
He shared a video of his trip into the city which he described as an ’emotional’ experience.
‘We went for a supply run to get groceries and seeing my once bustling city streets empty, the people nervous, really breaks my heart,’ he said.
‘Most of the snacks, preserved food, meat, and sanitisers are out of stock on the shelves. We didn’t even bother to look for masks. It was nice to get out of the house finally though.’
He admitted he had been ‘nervous’ about venturing into ground zero of the deadly virus saying people are ‘hesitant to get close to you’ and are ‘wearing full body coverings.’
In an earlier video, he shared the view from his apartment, giving a bird’s eye view of the ghost town.
‘We’ve got two main roads on both sides of our apartment which is normally congested in traffic 24/7, and this is the first time we have ever seen it like this. My city has become a ghost town,’ he said.
‘All the light rails, buses, taxi services, trains… everything’s stopped.’
Mr Yang first took to social media on Sunday to notify his friends and family that he had been quarantined in Wuhan, describing the alarming conditions.
The streets on Wuhan, the epicentre of China’s deadly virus, are empty as the city is forced into lockdown
Mr Yang said he was desperate to get home to Sydney to see his girlfriend and get back to his real estate business but was not sure about the living conditions on Christmas Island if he’s evacuated there
Some 170 people have died from the virus in mainland China and more than 7,000 have been infected worldwide
‘The situation however is pretty bad over here, and it’s worse than the government let’s out.
‘Our hospitals are full, and we are rushing to set up a brand new hospital in a week from now. Doctors are only taking emergency status patients, and anyone else are being turned away to self isolate at home.
‘We are being advised to not even open our doors. There’s definitely more infected and dead than what is being reported.’
More than 7,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, and some 170 have died.
Nine cases in Australia have been confirmed – four in NSW, three in Victoria and two in Queensland.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a plan on Wednesday to evacuate Australians trapped at the epicentre of China’s deadly virus and quarantine them on the remote island for 14 days.
Mr Yang found out about the evacuation through friends messaging him news articles after the prime minister made the announcement in Canberra.
Nine cases in Australia have been confirmed – four in NSW, three in Victoria and two in Queensland
Daniel Ou Yang is an Australian in the Chinese city of Wuhan and fearful of his uncertain future (stock image of Christmas Island)
He said he has not heard from the Australian government in four days.
But he admitted he was sceptical about the government’s plans, fearing he would be treated as a ‘detainee’.
‘I know we would be kept in the detention centre and the treatment of detainees is not the best,’ Mr Yang said.
On Thursday, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said images of the Christmas Island facility would be released in a bid to alleviate concerns about the centre’s standards.
Priority will be given to the elderly and children and those who have been in Wuhan for the least amount of time.
If anyone has the disease they will be transferred to an Australian hospital, Mr Dutton said.