The coronavirus pandemic, which once seemed far away for countries outside China, is spreading across the world, looming large and wreaking havoc everywhere. As Europe took the hit, a number of countries, which appeared to be a bit passive at the beginning, have been mobilizing resources and doing their utmost to blunt the infection and save lives.

The UK, afflicted by the virus, is working proactively to flatten the curve. In this critical time, Silk Road Post had the opportunity to interview — via email — Liberty Timewell, acting British consul general in Guangzhou, about the pandemic control efforts both in China and the UK.

Liberty Timewell, acting British consul general in Guangzhou [Photo/Curtesy of British Consulate General in Guangzhou]

"The UK is taking every responsible step to confront COVID-19," the consul general wrote. "Our approach will always be led by medical experts. The overriding objective is to save lives, protect the vulnerable and support the National Health Service (NHS) so it can help those who need it the most."

"Herd immunity is not and has not been the government policy," she added. "We acted swiftly and have been taking drastic measures to tackle the virus—urging people to work from home and adopt social distancing, closing social venues and advising families and households to isolate if any resident develops symptoms."

Timewell said 25,000 people within her country's NHS hospitals are being tested for coronavirus every day. While increasing funding to accelerate production of rapid tests and treatments for the virus, Britain is also the biggest contributor to the international coalition to find a vaccine. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (who since has been hospitalized with the virus) announced £210 million in funding on March 26, following a virtual summit of G20 leaders.

The country's science-led action plan is delivering and its surveillance and tracking have helped to slow the pandemic significantly, Timewell said.

In face of the pandemic, Timewell believes that everyone needs to work together to keep global supply chains intact— airlines afloat, freight routes operating, insurance companies running and pharmaceutical organizations resilient and strong.

"The UK is clear that we need to reduce the tariffs on essential medical devices and pharmaceuticals, not erect barriers," she wrote. "And countries shouldn't take unnecessary decisions that may cause blockages in the supply of essential medical equipment."

Timewell said that ever since the emergence of COVID-19 in China, the UK and China have worked closely together and will continue to do so. When the pandemic broke out in China, the UK sent two large shipments of essential medical supplies to Wuhan, and China is returning the favor and has donated up to 17.5 tons of medical supplies over the weekend to support the UK in its fight against the pandemic.

"UK-South China collaboration is also seen in the fight against COVID-19," she wrote, citing the medical supplies Guangzhou sent to its sister city Birmingham, and the cooperation of Guangzhou-based drone manufacturer, XAG, with Harper Adams University in the UK to potentially spray disinfectants in the coronavirus contaminated hotspots.

According to the acting consul general, when the fight against the virus was brutal in China, the British consulate in Guangzhou was watching out for 3,800 British nationals in Guangdong, including 2,500 in Guangzhou. As the battlefield shifts to the UK, the consulate is busy sourcing personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies and speeding up commercial exchange on supplies of key equipment.

During the outbreak in China, she witnessed many of her friends and colleagues staying positive and thriving in adversity, and was impressed by the resilience and adaptability of Wuhan and China as a whole. Now in the UK, people are also finding ways to support NHS, help vulnerable or elderly neighbors and also to "Keep Calm and Carry On," she wrote.

"With the key characteristics of resilience and discipline, the UK will continue to play a key role in the global fight against COVID-19 and we can, and will, emerge stronger," Timewell noted.

"The strong relationship between China and the UK means we have a solid footing to tackle this crisis together," she added. "We believe UK-China relations will be stronger after the global fight against COVID-19. We can, and will, emerge stronger with joint efforts."

Author: Sophia, SilkRoadPost

Editor: Sophia