Hafiz al-Nimr, a Libyan national studying in China's Wuhan, told Sputnik he has refused to be evacuated from the city, which has been stricken by the deadly coronavirus disease, to help its residents fight the epidemic and, by doing so, to "preserve the dignity" of Libya while the whole world is at risk due to the outbreak
BENGHAZI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th February, 2020) Hafiz al-Nimr, a Libyan national studying in China's Wuhan, told Sputnik he has refused to be evacuated from the city, which has been stricken by the deadly coronavirus disease, to help its residents fight the epidemic and, by doing so, to "preserve the dignity" of Libya while the whole world is at risk due to the outbreak.
Al-Nimr said that he could not leave his Chinese friends who often helped him during his stay in the country. Moreover, his studies in a local university were due to end in June and he decided to not leave the city until they are completed.
"Some reasons have made me stay in the city, no matter what is happening. [One of the reasons is that] my studies are nearly over. My post-graduate studies are scheduled to end here, in Wuhan, in June 2020. Since I have come to China, I have a responsibility to interact properly with people and preserve the dignity of my country, Libya. I got to know many Chinese friends, and I got acquainted with them mostly because they helped me even in the simplest things. I spent my best time with them ... And all of the difficulties that I ran into in the city easily disappeared with their help," al-Nimr told Sputnik.
The student added that he often did volunteer work in and outside Wuhan, recalling that he once helped teach children English in a poor village located 600 kilometers (373 miles) away from the city. Currently, al-Nimr spends most of his time on the university campus and goes out only when his help is needed.
"I bought all the essentials and got prepared for the crisis ... I started spending most of my time in my university's dormitory and sometimes I go out to [provide] help when asked to do so," al-Nimr said, at the same time adding that none of his friends had been infected with the coronavirus disease.
According to him, basic necessities are still available for students in Wuhan through a special delivery service set up by the university despite the quarantine.
"In general, the situation is very good when it comes to basic needs. All of them are available only through the special delivery team appointed by the university to satisfy all students' needs, while the city is still under quarantine. All public and private facilities are closed, except grocery stores, pharmacies and some other necessary services," al-Nimr explained.
The student also warned people against following media reports coming from unknown sources and called for staying away from crowded places until the end of the epidemic.
"The whole world is at risk, according to the WHO [World Health Organization]. So everyone should only be careful. I will return to my country when I finish my studies in Wuhan in June, with God's help," the student said when asked whether he was mulling the idea of returning to Libya for safety reasons, given the virus had spread to several European, African and Asian countries.
Al-Nimr expressed a readiness to cooperate with the Libyan authorities to contain the virus once he returned home.
"Certainly, I will not return to Libya until I confirm my health condition passing all the needed [lab] tests. At the same time, I think that the disease will completely end when I return to Libya at the beginning of July, but I will certainly cooperate with the Libyan authorities on everything they want [to undertake] for my and the country's safety as well," he stated.
As for preventative measures he takes to avoid being infected, al-Nimr mentioned that he wears protective gloves and masks and tries to stay away from crowded places.
"I wash [clothes] more often than usual, and wear gloves and masks. [I do] not go out only when it is necessary and always stay away from people as much as possible," he concluded.
The coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan in late December and the city was put on lockdown the next month. Multiple countries have evacuated their citizens, including students, from Wuhan and other Chinese cities.
