'China's strict COVID-19 preventive measures good for all,' says Ugandan expatriate

China's stringent COVID-19 preventive measures should be observed by all, including locals and foreigners, to avoid a resurgence of the pandemic in China, a Ugandan expatriate living in China's southern metropolis of Guangzhou told Xinhua on Sunday.

The Ugandan businessman, who only identified himself as Richard, is currently under quarantine at his home in Guangzhou.

Richard said he has noticed reports that one Nigerian national who tested positive for COVID-19 assaulted a nurse who was treating him, and the news went viral.

"I guess this worried the authorities that another outbreak would emerge hence the decision to test all of us. However, since not every African has a registered address where they could be found, tested and quarantined, it proved a challenge for the authorities," said Richard, who has been doing business in China since 2005.

Guangzhou had reported a total of 119 imported cases of the novel coronavirus disease as of midnight Saturday, according to Guangzhou Mayor Wen Guohui at a press conference on Sunday.

Of the 119 imported cases, 25 are foreign nationals and 94 are Chinese nationals. Of the 25 foreign patients, 19 are from Africa, accounting for 76 percent of the total, said Wen.

In one of the meetings involving community leaders from African countries and Chinese security, foreign affairs authorities and officials from the center for disease control, Chinese officials urged the community leaders to encourage their members to take part in COVID-19 tests, Richard told Xinhua.

Richard said there are different categories of foreigners. The first category includes those with a permanent address and registered with the jurisdictional police. These people have been contacted by phone and given an appointment by the local authorities on when to be tested.

The second category includes foreigners with valid visas but without a permanent residential address.

These people were taken to hotels designated by government to be tested and quarantined, he said.

The third category includes people who don't have a valid visa and have not registered with the local authorities, said Richard.

"These people are hard to find and I hear that their landlords were contacted by the authorities and asked to report them to the authorities," he said, noting that this is the category of people who are showing on the streets.

"There were no forced tests, those are lies. No one in our communities has reported anything like forced test," he said.

He noted that Africans back in Africa should be wary of fake information that is all over social media, noting that most of it is intended to tarnish China.

"Our responsibility as Africans in China is, first we have to understand the culture of the Chinese people, understand how to interpret their actions and understand that the number one priority of the Chinese nation is the safety of its people and all those that live in it regardless of where they come from," he said.

He noted that the focus should be put on fighting the common enemy, COVID-19.

"Chinese people have endured more than two months of quarantine and a foreigner is complaining about 14 days. We all have a collective responsibility," said Richard.

"Let's all comply with the measures taken by the government. It's our responsibility to keep a healthy relationship between our countries and not spread rumors to incite the people back home against our host country," he noted.