Police help people without accommodations at railway station

Around Hongqiao Railway Station, people waiting for outbound trains sometimes spend the night without proper accommodations, but police are stepping up to help.

Every day after the last arrival and departure, police in Minhang District patrol the area, focusing on underground passages, bridge underpasses, ATMs, street gardens and out-of-use factories.

There, police question people they see with luggage sleeping in cars and out in the open and inquire about their COVID-19 status.

Those with next-day train tickets are given accommodations at the train station's P10 parking lot.

People with negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results from within the previous 48 hours but without next-day train tickets are provided with accommodations arranged by the Xinhong Subdistrict.

"If we find people during the day, we advise them to return home because those coming to the train station should have a train ticket. If it's late at night, we'll help them with proper accommodations," said Wang Jian, vice director of the Xinhong Police Station.

Wang said the number of such people has decreased over time, because there are more trains in service.

Temporary accommodations provide PCR tests, chargers, hot water and food as well as other common necessities.

People police come across are given antigen self-tests on the spot, and those with problematic health codes or test results are transferred to quarantine sites.

Elsewhere in the city, police have also been looking out for people lacking proper accommodations and providing them with temporary homes.