WATCH: Irish man shares video from inside quarantine, following evacuation from Wuhan

Irish man Ben Kavanagh is currently in quarantine in the UK, having been evacuated from his apartment in Wuhan, China. Here he shares a video of his home for the next two weeks

As the death toll from the coronavirus surpasses 360, and with more than 17,000 cases reported worldwide, Irish man Ben Kavanagh is settling into life in quarantine.

The teacher, who is originally from Co Kildare, has been working in Wuhan, China for two years – but given the increased risk of infection there, he chose to be evacuated. He left Wuhan on a charter flight with a number of UK citizens and will spend the next two weeks in quarantine there before returning to Ireland.

Inside quarantine

In a video made by Ben for Channel 4, he shows what life is like inside quarantine. While he isn’t 100% sure, he believes he is based in a shared flat used for nurses’ accommodation. He has his own bedroom and bathroom, with use of a shared kitchen and living area. As would be expected, he must wear a face mask across his nose and mouth to reduce the risk of infection.

Ben’s quarantine arrangement came after consultation between the UK and Irish governments. Last week, Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said he was “confident” he could secure plane seats for Irish people who wanted to leave. He also said, “When they arrive back in Europe, they will have to go through the appropriate health measures to ensure that they are not carrying infection and their healthcare needs are being looked after as they should be.”

This was a crucial factor in Ben’s decision to leave. Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland radio programme, he said he would only take the option to leave Wuhan “if the right circumstances are in place” – such as a two-week quarantine for all passengers on-arrival in the UK. “As long as we know everyone on the flight can’t infect anyone else in the public, then that’s ideal,” he said.

Watch Ben’s video from inside quarantine below:

Photo: Ben Kavanagh for Channel 4

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