Coronavirus: Bay Area native living in Wuhan describes city as 'absolute ghost town,' says 'we avoid everyone'

WUHAN, China (KGO) -- The Chinese city of Wuhan is ground zero for the Coronavirus outbreak.

Although some Americans have been evacuated, others are forced to stay and wait out the pandemic.

ABC7 News talked to a Marin County man who teaches English in Wuhan to find out what life is like right now.

"Sometimes I do get scared. I'm not going to lie, it's a scary situation," Doug Perez said.

Perez is a Greenbrae native who moved to Wuhan two years ago to teach English, math, and science.

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He says because of the outbreak he and his girlfriend rarely go outside, but when they do, the city looks and feels completely different.

"I went out and walked on the street for a bit and it was remarkably quiet, like an absolute ghost town," Perez said.

And leaving the apartment to buy groceries or even walk their dog is no longer as simple as walking out the door.

"We avoid everyone. We have a whole procedure, wear a mask, gloves, goggles when they arrive and when we come back we spray ourselves with alcohol."

RELATED: Coronavirus: Bay Area families canceling trips amid outbreak

Doug says when the first cases were reported, he didn't think it would become a big deal.

But now that it has, he can't come back to California because his girlfriend, a Chinese National, can't get a visa and he doesn't want to leave her behind.

The city is under quarantine so they can't go to work. They've have been paid through February, but few things are certain at the moment.

"We probably won't go to work until March, if we're lucky and things seem to calm down, maybe March, but right now we are not going to work."

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