Sydney mother of two Li Ping Gu, who was rescued from Wuhan on a Qantas flight on February 3. Picture: Supplied
Sydney mother-of-two Li Ping Gu begins in a touching thank-you note to Australia:" P24, here`s my evacuation ID number."
Ms Gu,58, is spending her isolation in the monsoon rain forest on Christmas Island,430km south of Java, where her two adult children are worrying about her on Australian soil.
She assured Sunny,32, and Shelley,25, that their mum had been careful. She was not afraid.
Instead, Ms. Gu thought of the people who rescued her from Wuhan, the center of the coronavirus epidemic, on February 3.
Li Ping Gu, who is in quarantine on Christmas Island. Picture: Supplied
She knew that the medical staff who had carried out routine health checks for her and the troops who had brought food to her every day had left their families behind and quarantined her and other evacuees from wuhan for 14 days.
"At the coronavirus quarantine centre on Christmas Island, I learned the great Australian spirit of caring and giving daily. "
In the thank-you note, which she hopes other Australians will see, Ms Gu wrote:" I am grateful to all the doctors on Christmas Island, nurse, the soldiers for sacrificing their families and their own safety to support us.
"Every day, I greet their lovely smiles through their eyes (we wear masks so we can barely see each other`s faces)..."
A total of 544 australian citizens and permanent residents are now segregated at a former workers`camp on the edge of christmas island and darwin.
By the end of Wednesday, three evacuees had been tested for coronavirus.
They`re all on Christmas Island, not in the camp at Howard Springs. The first girl to be tested had flu-like symptoms on Friday. The second was a man whose temperature reached critical heat on Monday. Their test samples were sent to the microbiology department in Sydney`s Westmead and tested negative for the coronavirus. On Monday, a third evacuation was tested for coronavirus using diagnostic tools delivered to Christmas Island by the RAAF Hercules. the sample was also negative. it will be sent to mainland to confirm the result.
The troops sent a birthday cake to a child who had welcomed her fourth birthday in quarantine, which moved Ms Gu deeply. She wants her friends to understand the efforts of employees to look after her and other evacuees.
They bought familiar snacks for Chinese evacuees, such as green tea cakes and rice cakes.
There are now 544 Australian citizens and permanent residents in quarantine on Christmas Island. Picture: Supplied
"They never say`no` to our demands, they just need some time to get the supplies here. Ms." wrote.
"They work hard within the centre to make us comfortable during the isolation, and they are very modest about our appreciation. "
Ms Gu and other quarantiners are scheduled to be released next Monday, and she is counting down for the day. Knowing that waiting might be more difficult for her children, she tried to cheer them up by texting lightly.
She sent them a contagious emoji - the face of a mask - and told them:" I`m going to keep wearing my mask and go home and be with you."
(All rights reserved to the Australian newspaper)
