One Worker’s Grueling Journey Home Shows China Isn’t Normal Yet

China’s economic drive clashes with local isolation rules
Migrant workers returning to Beijing face quarantine hurdles

A volunteer closes the gate of an entrance to a residential community in Beijing as they monitor people entering and leaving, on March 26.Photographer: Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

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By Lulu Yilun Chen

April 2, 2020 at 9:00 PM UTC

Updated on

April 3, 2020 at 10:25 AM UTC

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Before boarding a flight from northeast China back to Beijing in late February, Bunny Fan called her landlord’s agent to make sure she could even get back into her apartment. No problem, she was told.