Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor:  Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

AsiaWire

This heartbreaking video shows a lonely home-alone Chinese girl aged six crying into a surveillance camera and calling for her parents who are both civil servants working overtime during the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak.

Six-year-old Yao Yao, from the county of Xiji in Guyuan City in China’s north-western Ningxia region, has spent most of her days at home alone since the novel coronavirus outbreak saw her new school term delayed indefinitely.

Her dad, Zhang Lin, works for the Guyuan Public Security Bureau and is the resident party secretary of Qianju Village, while her mum, Liu Xi, is employed by the Guyuan Food and Strategic Reserves Administration.

Both are working overtime as the city copes with the disease, with Mr Zhang overseeing disease prevention, health checks and awareness campaigns.

Ms Liu, meanwhile, ensures that critical supply such as grain and oil continues to reach villagers who may otherwise be cut off during the various lockdowns and travel restrictions imposed during the deadly viral outbreak.

The couple monitor Yao Yao using a home security camera and spotted her sobbing impatiently while waiting for her mum to get back from an unusually lengthy overnight shift.

In the video dated 1st February, Yao Yao cries at the camera while shouting: “Dad! Mum!”

In another on 3rd February, the girl lifts a drawing towards the camera hoping her parents will see it.

Ms Liu shared the footage online and admitted she was “torn” between family and duty.

She wrote: “Those policemen, social workers, doctors, nurses and other front-line government officials – who wouldn’t rather be with their family?

“But they have responsibility on their shoulders.”

Mr Zhang told local media: “We’ve been particularly busy recently.

“Her nursery school sometimes has extracurricular activities to help us mind her.

“The two of us have been especially busy, so we’ve had no time to spend with her.

“At home, she watches TV, writes, draws and plays with her toys.

“She cried for half an hour when it reached 11am and her mum still hadn’t come home yet

“That’s what we saw when we watched the footage back on 3rd February.

“It’s heartbreaking, but things will get better.

“The situation with the outbreak will improve.”

The novel strain of the respiratory disease has killed 637 people in mainland China and infected a total of 31,161 to date.

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