Gabrielle Autry, 26, from Georgia, USA, faced the love challenge after an international travel ban and corona virus isolation.

Autry now lives with his Chinese boyfriend in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, one of the provinces most affected by the new strain of coronary pneumonia (nCoV). The epidemic has so far left 910 people dead and more than 40,000 infected worldwide.

The whole world around Autry was suddenly blocked. Despite being allowed to fly out of China as an American citizen, she decided to stay. Otherwise, boyfriend Autry, who is stuck with thousands of other Chinese citizens because of a travel restriction, will have to live in an apartment that the two men rent alone.

"I will not leave even if I can," Autry told the Washington Post. "Leaving him alone is not the right thing for our relationship."

Their relationship experienced the first storm, but not as romantic as in the movie.

While China and governments around the world quickly impose blockade, quarantine, travel restrictions to cope with nCoV, many couples and multi-national families in China are falling into scene of separation, separation.

Monte Gisborne, a Canadian citizen whose wife and children are visiting relatives in Wuhan, the epicenter of the disease, once hoped his wife and children could find a place on a plane to take Canadian citizens out of China. But he said the government had removed his wife and children from the list because they were only permanent residents in Canada, not citizens. "Aren't we a Canadian family?" He wondered.

Leaving China is becoming increasingly difficult, regardless of nationality. Global airlines are constantly canceling flights, many countries have banned people from entering China. Inside China, the movement between cities is also greatly limited. Foreign governments' efforts to bring citizens back home are made more difficult by diplomatic relations and Chinese regulations.

On January 31, the administration of US President Donald Trump issued a new stringent travel restriction, banned entry for anyone who is not a US citizen and 14 days isolation for new US citizens from China. Quoc returned. Chinese citizens who are spouses or immediate family members of US citizens are exempt from the ban.

Autry and his boyfriend, Li, were planning to go to Hong Kong to hold the engagement ceremony. The two met while Autry was studying in China. Two years later, Li "became part of the family" of Autry, as she described.

Then outbreaks of pneumonia broke out. Autry first learned about the disease by following the news in the US media. At that time, Chinese media still did not mention the incident. Two people decided to actively isolate and restrict out of the apartment. After a few weeks, the authorities officially banned any unnecessary movement.

These days, the security guards at Autry's apartment building always measure their body temperature before and after she goes out to buy things. In the apartment, life is quite tedious. Li works remotely, Autry learns Chinese and plays video games. But at least they can be together.

"I can't imagine being alone in such a situation," Autry said. "Leaving has never been what I consider."

Gisborne's wife, Daniela Luo, and her 9-year-old daughter, Dominica, visited Luo's family in Wuhan just around the time the blockade order took effect. Gisborne did not accompany his wife and children at that time.

As a permanent resident of Canada, Luo and her daughter have nearly all the same rights as ordinary Canadian citizens, however, Ottawa only allows permanent residents on flights to leave Wuhan if they travel with young children who are Canadian citizens. . So, Lou and her stepchild are not on the list. They have no choice but to stay in Wuhan.

Gisborne is extremely worried and confused because of what his wife and daughter may have to go through. "Who doesn't worry about their family and do everything to help them?" He said.

Countless other families are also facing a series of international barriers. Kai Huang, a Canadian citizen, has to choose between leaving Wuhan or staying with his 78-year-old mother. His mother is a permanent resident of Canada, so he is not allowed to take the flight to bring citizens back to the country organized by the Canadian government.

Two weeks ago, British authorities informed Natalie Francis, a British citizen working in Wuhan, that Jamie, three, her son, of British and Chinese nationality, was not allowed to fly with her mother. just because of his Chinese nationality.

"Until the very end, she was still sure that she and her son could get on the plane," Michele Carlisle, Francis' aunt, told the BBC.

Countries with nCoV pneumonia patients. Click on image to see details.