An Irishman living in Shanghai has described the ongoing lockdown in the city as "mentally and physically exhausting" with some inedible meal deliveries and 19 mandatory Covid tests so far.
Liam Murray, from Dripsey in Cork, and his wife Victoria, a native of Taiwan, have been confined to a small hotel room for the past ten days.
"We are the lucky ones - some of my colleagues have been in lockdown for 26 days now," he said.
It comes as Shanghai reported nearly 25,000 locally transmitted Covid-19 infections today.
Liam moved to Shanghai to work as a teacher in a local Montessori school and the couple are staying at a hotel while looking for an apartment to rent.
"We are big walkers - we typically walk 20km each Saturday and Sunday - so being cooped up here is mentally and physically exhausting," he told RTÉ News.
"You try and take your mind off it by watching moves or reading or working but sometimes it gets to you, of course it does.
"Victoria is building her own website (for Chinese learners of English) and it keeps her busy, but sometimes she's pretty upset by the situation.
"That's tough, especially when it's difficult to reassure her because we don't know when this will end - there's no light at the end of the tunnel."
Liam added: "If you get stressed you can't walk it off. Or pop down to the local for a pint.
"We have a bathroom and a tiny fridge, but no kitchen or living room so we cannot cook [our] own meals.
"Although I like Chinese food, sometimes you just want a salad or something simple. I'd murder a tomato sandwich right about now!"
He said the hotel arranges three meals a day, "but we never know when it's coming - and as for the quality: some of it is inedible".
Liam said they each receive two small bottles of water every day, "which is not enough but better than nothing as the tap water can't be drank".
The Corkman is calling for diplomatic staff at the Irish consulate in Shanghai to do more to help citizens who are stuck in the city's lockdown.
"I am aware they have limited staff but they could provide more useful information on their home page, for example, such as how and when to order food deliveries.
"Or how to access medicine or pet food - there are lots of horror stories about pets being put down if their owners are quarantined," he said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said: "The Consulate General in Shanghai is in contact with Irish citizens through local platforms and the various Irish community groups, which are the most immediate way of staying in touch.
"Our 24-hour emergency line, details for which are available on our website and have been shared locally, remains a dedicated resource for our citizens in the region, allowing the Consulate team to provide immediate advice and support when citizens reach out to us.
"The situation in Shanghai continues to evolve rapidly, and varies from district to district, so the Consulate is responding to and assisting our citizens with the most up to date information we have to hand at any given point, and intervenes on their behalf where necessary."
Liam said his wife is fluent in Chinese and can help him translate, but he pointed out that some Irish people in Shanghai cannot read or understand the language.
"Last night, at 9pm, we were summoned out to the street with no notice at all, for our 19th Covid test in the last four months.
"Tonight will be our tenth night stuck in home, without even being allowed out for a walk or to buy some fruit or bread or chocolate or a can of beer."
Liam told RTÉ that, following the publication of his story, the Department of Foreign Affairs' Consulate in Shanghai contacted him by email.
"It is just a pity that the useful information they have now provided to me was not made available on their website."
