All 179 people, mostly French citizens and their Chinese spouses, were evacuated from Wuhan to France on February 1 and began a two-week quarantine in the coastal resort town of Carry-le-Rouetven in the southeast of the country.
Twice a day, nurses take the temperature of those in quarantine and check for symptoms of pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus (nCoV). Aside from following the medical check-up schedule, their "job" in a day is just to charge their phones and receive their freshly washed and dried clothes.
The quarantine area arranged by the Government is an isolated resort located in the middle of a pine forest by the sea, more than 3 km from the town of Carry-le-Rouet and about 30 km from the Mediterranean port city of Marseille.
The seaside resort of Carry-le-Rouet, where people returning from Wuhan were quarantined starting February 1
On the first morning in the quarantine area, some people got up early to catch the sunrise, some sat outside in the pleasant mild temperature, or wandered around to explore the resort. Inside the resort, there was a volleyball court, art class, and a space to relax with a cup of coffee, making those in the quarantine area feel like they were really on vacation.
"The French government chose to make the quarantined people feel as comfortable as possible. It had to be a pleasant place because people were living in fear of a major epidemic!" said Marc Ziltman, a senior official of the Red Cross.
No one in the quarantine area has shown symptoms of the new coronavirus. The medical team consists of 20 people, including doctors, nurses and psychologists. French police are on duty to ensure security and 30 Red Cross volunteers provide logistical support.
Outside the resort, security forces patrolled. The parents of a French student quarantined at the resort came to drop off a travel bag containing clean clothes for their son, but were not allowed inside and had to hand it over to security forces. The father said his son said the atmosphere was “pretty nice”. “I think everyone here feels relaxed, in very good conditions,” he told journalists gathered outside the quarantine area.
A person drinks coffee and enjoys a beautiful sunset over the sea in quarantine
