China Jiang Lanyi and his Ukrainian boyfriend plan to visit the ancient garden in Suzhou and ski in Beijing on Valentine's Day.

Instead, the two stayed at Jiang's parents' home in Liaoning Province for more than two weeks to avoid the corona pneumonia epidemic (Covid-19). "We play mahjong 2-3 hours a day. Since he can't play, he is very good at this game now," Jiang said.

In Beijing, special activities for couples on Valentine's Day, February 14, from the "My Heart Will Go On" concert to 1,688 yuan ($ 335) lobster dinner were canceled.

Valentine's Day this year will be no different from the everyday isolation life, according to Tyra Li, a girl who lives in Beijing with her boyfriend for nearly three years. From the Lunar New Year, in addition to a family visit, the two of them only left their homes to buy necessities, did not even order food for fear of being infected with nCoV.

"Certainly there will be no flowers. I do not dare to receive flowers and he does not dare to buy them," Li said.

The Covid-19 epidemic also made business on Valentine's Day "stand out". Xian Hua Ge, owner of a flower shop in Beijing, said sales this year are down 70% from last year, as many people have yet to return to the city to work.

A Romanti Fresh Flowers store employee said store sales were down 50%, in part because customers were afraid of getting sick through the delivery staff. Another flower shop said they did not import goods on this important holiday.

The wedding service industry was also affected when the Chinese government called on couples to postpone their wedding in early February.

Zhu He, 25, had to hold a smaller wedding than expected due to fear of nCoV. She and her husband planned to get a marriage certificate on Valentine's Day, February 14, but the plan had to be postponed.

"We intend to go with our parents. However, they will not come even though we live in Guangzhou. They cannot drive, and I do not trust the public transport," Zhu said.

The Covid-19 epidemic also prevented many love affairs when many cities in China did not allow people from other places to control the disease.

Miao Jing, a university student in Tianjin, said his girlfriend had to sneak into the hotel through the parking lot to meet her three hours earlier this month.

The trip was supposed to last for 3 days, but on the second day, the area where Miao was in, there was a case of nCoV. "She was very worried. In the end, I only met her on the first day," Miao said.

Shaw Wan, a 28-year-old documentary filmmaker in Beijing, and his boyfriend, who are on Taiwan's island, were separated because of the Covid-19 epidemic. "I don't want him coming back either, what if he gets sick when he returns?"

However, Covid-19 also brought some positive things for couples. Li said just staying at home gave her more time to spend with her boyfriend. In the past, they could only meet after 22 hours a day.

For Miao and her girlfriend, volunteering for relief work has brought them closer together. The two helped residents and communities in Wuhan, the epicenter of the Covid-19 epidemic, with remote jobs such as calling trucks.

"Working together brings emotion. Even without being together, we still feel connected," Miao said.

Countries with nCoV-infected patients. Click on image to see details.

The Covid-19 outbreak started in Wuhan in December 2019, then spread to all of China's 31 provinces. Covid-19 is now present in 26 countries and territories, killing 1,489 people and more than 65,000 infected.