“Coronavirus Captives”: Georgia family struggled to get out of China

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    Atlanta (WGCL) — A “Zombie-like apocalypse” is how DaVina Jackson described her month-long battle to leave China during the Coronavirus outbreak.

She moved to Nanjing last year with her daughter JeNaii, 13, and son JeKaii, 9, to teach English at a local school. Jackson says when the virus first broke out back in December, that the airline ticket prices soared and she couldn’t afford to buy her entire family tickets.

“I was just crying, thinking about what could happen,” said Jackson.

Jackson started a gofundme and also got help from travel site, interNATionalcaty. It took her 4 weeks to raise the $4500 needed for 3 tickets back home.

“The threat was so real and I didn’t know what was going to happen,” said Jackson. “I just saw certain doom.”

Jackson says stores refused to deliver food and she ended up living off of a bag of rice and eggs.

“The delivery person wouldn’t come to our apartment because there was such a high case of virus activity,” said Jackson.

Outside her apartment, red tents and officers replaced daily family life and busy streets. “That’s all you saw,” said Jackson. “It was like a movie and you saw a tumbleweed going by, that’s it.”

Then, the family made their escape and the plane out of China was almost empty. The family flew to Korea where they were screened before and after entering the country.

“They see these people completely covered hazmat suits, they were really afraid,” said Jackson of her kids.

Once the family arrived to Texas, Jackson said the language barrier ended and U.S. organizations gave them detailed explanations along with another round of screening.

“Everybody’s temperature was checked and they asked you a while bunch of questions,” said Jackson.

While relived to be back on American soil, Jackson says the journey was terrifying. “The danger was so there and so very real,” said Jackson.

The Georgia resident says she appreciates all the support and help.

Currently, Jackson and her two kids are under quarantine in Florida.

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