Chinese entrepreneur in Brazil experiences changes amid epidemic

Liu Beibei is an entrepreneur living in Brazil. She decided to join a startup after graduating in 2013, and later became a co-founder of a fintech company. The company has been growing for the past seven years with its business expanding globally. Two years ago, Liu went to Brazil under the company's blueprint, starting to live and work in the country.

Liu was spending Spring Festival in Guangxi, her hometown, when COVID-19 broke out in China. Though hard to leave family, she flew back to São Paulo in early February as planned. She paid close attention to the situation in China while working in another hemisphere.

At that time, the atmosphere in São Paulo was totally different from the push notifications in her cellphone. On the weekend of Feb 22, Brazilians were celebrating the annual carnival. "Coronavirus is merely horrific news from the other side of the world, 16,000 kilometers away from here."

On Feb 26 and 29, Brazil confirmed two COVID-19 cases. Both patients were residents of São Paulo who had recently traveled to Italy. In the middle of March, companies started implementing a work from home policy after being called on by local and state governments. Residents were encouraged to limit their trips outside and try to self-isolate.

However, wearing masks is not common among Brazilians. At the early stage of the outbreak, the government issued guidelines specifically asking people not to wear masks, so they could be spared for medical workers and patients in need. Liu visited several pharmacies, but they were sold out with no promise of being restocked.

The Brazilian aerospace industry ranks third in global aircraft manufacturing, trailing Boeing and Airbus. São Paulo is the third-largest city after New York and Tokyo in terms of helicopter traffic. "Normally, you'd see flights or helicopters dashing through the sky every several minutes. Now it seems a lot more silent."

Stores on the street have mostly closed, including flower carts, restaurants and barber shops. Even soccer fields that used to be occupied every day are empty now. Brazil's football confederation had announced on March 15 that all national tournaments would be suspended from March 16.

Like many cities, the food delivery platforms in Brazil are still providing services. The bikes of food delivery workers are the most common sight on the street. Supermarkets are still open, properly stocked with daily necessities. Liu observed that people are already keeping their distance while queuing.

However, the lockdown measures taken by states have been strongly opposed by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who launched on social media a campaign titled "Brazil'seconomy 'can't stop' for coronavirus", calling on people to go back to work soon and recover the economy. Liu said the Brazilians around her hold polarized opinions, and the gap remains as wide as that between the president and health minister, who are already on the verge of parting ways.

To express their dissatisfaction at the inaction of the Bolsonaro government, quarantined Brazilians started banging pots and pans in protest. They screamed, yelled and played the national anthem to express their anger.

Early on March 23, the Brazilian gang Comando Vermelho issued a curfew notice on a social media platform.

The message goes like this: "Guys, stay home. The situation is getting serious and there are people who are taking it as a joke......Now you will stay at home under any circumstance. There is a curfew every day from 8 pm. People caught on the street will learn how to respect others (will suffer punishment). We want the best for the population. If the government does not have the capacity to manage it, our group (mafia organization) will manage it."

Living in São Paulo, Liu also heard the news of "gangs calling for curfews". But the areas that gangs frequent are too dangerous, and she keeps a great distance from them, as other Chinese do. "That's a completely different world." Liu said.