NBC News foreign correspondent Janis Mackey Frayer has reunited with her husband and young son for the first time in seven weeks after being quarantined.
The Canadian journalist, who is based in Beijing, China, spent five weeks covering the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan, Japan, and the United Kingdom followed by 14 days in self-quarantine before she could see her family.
Mackey Frayer, 49, took to Twitter on Wednesday to share a video of the emotional moment she got to see and hug her son for the first time in 49 days.
Emotional moment: NBC News foreign correspondent Janis Mackey Frayer, 54, reunited with her young son for the first time in seven weeks on Wednesday after quarantine
Work: The Canadian journalist who is based in Beijing, China, spent five weeks covering the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan, Japan, and the UK followed by 14 days in self-quarantine
In the clip, her son is jumping up and down and yelling, ‘Mommy! Mommy, hurry up!’ as she runs towards him.
Both mother and son are wearing face masks as they share a warm embrace while her husband, Kevin, a professional photojournalist, films the moment.
‘With work travel, restrictions and quarantine in #China, our family was apart for 49 days. And yes, every one of them was hard — the worry, the decisions, the failed plans, isolation. Our little guy has been brave and resilient… and this was easily the best. hug. ever,’ she captioned the heartwarming footage.
‘I’m so grateful to @kevinfrayer for capturing this (and for the many days and weeks leading up to it)…’
So sweet: In the clip, her son is jumping up and down and yelling, ‘Mommy! Mommy, hurry up!’ as she runs towards him
Making memories: Both mother and son are wearing face masks as they share a warm embrace while her husband, Kevin, a professional photojournalist, films the moment
Mackey Frayer also posted a photo of herself hugging her son cheek to cheek on her Instagram page following their sweet reunion.
The mom described seeing her son for the first time in seven weeks and his reaction to their separation during a video chat with Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb on the Today show Thursday.
‘In a word, it was electric,’ she said. ‘To see him and to feel him…it was a long time coming and it made it that much harder to leave the house today just to come to work.
‘He said to me, “You know, Mommy, that was a lot of days you were away.” And I said, “Yeah, it was.” He goes, “Let’s not do that again, okay?”‘
Personal journey: Before she was reunited with her family, she used her social media platform to open up about the realities of being quarantined in China
Mandeteory: The foriegn correspondent noted on Twitter that quarantine ‘isn’t a choice or suggestion’ in Asia
Message: When she arrived home on March 22, she shared a photo of her door. There was a drawing from her son and a letter from the authorities telling her to self-quarantine for 14 days
Before she was reunited with her family, she used her social media platform to open up about the realities of being quarantined in China.
‘In #Asia, quarantine isn’t a choice or suggestion, but an obligation bound by law,’ she tweeted. ‘Violators in #SouthKorea, #HongKong, #China, #India & elsewhere face jail time or fines. Borders have tightened across the region, all but banning visitors to most countries.’
In another post, she explained that when she landed in Beijing, her bags were left at the gate for disinfection and she was registered for China’s COVID-19 tracking app. She then boarded a bus with others doing home quarantine before arriving home.
On March 22, she shared an Instagram photo of what was hanging on her apartment door when she came home from the airport.
Aww! Mackey Frayer’s husban and son blew her kisses outside of her apartment while she was in quarantine
Grateful: Many praised the journalist for doing the right thing by remaining separated from her family to stop the spread of COVID-19, despite it being incredibly difficult
There was a drawing that her son made her while she was away and a letter from the Chinese quarantine authorities stating she could ‘not set foot outside of the apartment for 14 days.’
‘I can order food and other supplies and one of the building staff will deliver and drop at the door,’ she explained. ‘K & J had to move to a temporary place until my isolation ends March 31st. The cats are already bored of me.’
A day later, she shared a video of her husband and son blowing her kisses outside of her apartment window.
‘When you’re in quarantine in #Beijing, and you can’t leave the house, and you haven’t seen or hugged your family since way-too-long-ago… and then you get a phone call to go to the window… and oof, your heart,’ she wrote on Instagram.
Back to work: Mackey Frayer opened up about the emotional moment during a video chat on the Today show Thursday, saying it was ‘electric’
Too cute: While talking to her son about their 49-day separation, she said he told her, ‘Let’s not do that again, okay?’
Mackey Frayer’s latest video documenting her reunion with her son has been viewed more than 450,000 times, with many people admitting that it made them cry.
Others praised her doing the right thing by remaining separated from her family to stop the spread of COVID-19, despite it being incredibly difficult.
‘Thank you for your sacrifice I know those 49 days felt like an eternity,’ one person commented on the clip.
Another added: ‘I can’t imagine being away from my little guy for that long! Thank you for all your hard work and your sacrifice to keep us informed.’