Annabella Woo in a village outside Wuhan Photo: Screenshot of a video shot by Annabella Woo

 

"It is the 30th day since Wuhan entered lockdown. The last time I went to a supermarket was probably nine days ago," posted Annabella Woo, a Hong Kong model who is currently stranded in a village outside of Wuhan, Hubei Province, on Friday on Instagram. 

Woo arrived in the village, her boyfriend's hometown, before the Spring Festival. After COVID-19 began to spread, Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and their village was put locked down on January 23.

With more than 62,500 followers on Instagram, the 28-year-old model and social media influencer started sharing her daily life during the lockdown. After seeing her posts, many people began sending their thoughts and best wishes to her. She has also received some rather spiteful comments and messages from some Hong Kong netizens.

"I like sharing my life on Instagram. Since I don't have much to do here, so I decided to share what I see, like keeping a diary. I haven't exaggerated anything, or tried to praise or criticize. I have just been sharing what I see," Woo told the Global Times on Sunday.

Woo has recorded some heart-warming incidents, such as when the village was first put on lockdown, and people weren't able to go outside the village to purchase food. Fortunately, residents readily helped out each other by offering up vegetables from their home gardens so everyone could have access to a variety of vegetables. She has also been keeping track of the problems such as old villagers spitting on the ground despite the ongoing epidemic.    

There have been many comments and private messages from Hong Kong netizens telling Woo not to return to Hong Kong or that no one will care if she dies.

"I don't think I've done anything wrong. As a Hongkonger, when I knew Wuhan was going to enter lockdown, I never thought about leaving or returning to Hong Kong. Staying where I was was the best choice," said Woo.

"I am just sharing what I see without affecting anyone. They are just too sensitive. Maybe they don't like it when I say good things about here. They were like, 'it couldn't be this stable there. There can't be any food. It can't be that safe,'" she said.

But there are also many people standing with her. "Please ignore the evil comments, and stay safe and return safely," some netizens wrote to comfort Woo.

"I'm a Korean. I'm also staying in a village about an hour drive from Wuhan. Let's fight together," wrote netizen Sophia Luo in Chinese.

One Hong Kong woman told Woo that her boyfriend is also in Wuhan, and that she wasn't able to contact him due to the epidemic. The woman encouraged Woo to stay strong and not to be disturbed by the words of others.

Woo noted that hateful comments have died down somewhat, as many realized that she was simply telling the truth without taking any stance. She said that maybe the media coverage they had seen was opinionated, unlike her who maintained the neutral stance of a simple citizen. For the most part, people who have been following her have just been interested in the situation in Wuhan. 

In one post, Woo shared that she saw many men in the village devote themselves to helping with the construction of Huoshenshan Hospital, one of the emergency hospitals in Wuhan built within 10 days in response to the deadly coronavirus.

"Is it mandatory for men to join the construction?" asked a netizen below Woo's post, and she replied by explaining it was voluntary. Other questions include the price of food and the strictness of the lockdown.

"No one wanted the epidemic. So I hope that people don't discriminate against people who are from or in Wuhan," Woo said. 

"I hope this epidemic can be contained soon. Let us wait patiently. If we cannot control the things happening out there, at least, we can try to manage our emotions, which is very important."