Hong Kong people rise to meet common challenge
An online donation ceremony
Hong Kong enterprises, organizations and individuals are active in fighting the COVID-19 resurgence in Shanghai by making donations, becoming volunteers and organizing group buying.
The Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China (Shanghai) donated 30,000 masks to medics on the front line of the COVID-19 resurgence in Shanghai on Wednesday via the city's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.
Zhang Xiaosong, director of the office, thanked the chamber for its generous donation and promised to distribute it to grassroots staff fighting against the pandemic in the 16 districts as soon as possible.
Alex Wong, chairman of HKCCC Shanghai, said the chamber will work together with local authorities to overcome difficulties and promote the resumption of production in Hong Kong enterprises in Shanghai.
On the same day, HKCCC Shanghai donated 20,000 masks to Tangqiao Subdistrict in the Pudong New Area.
Alex Wong, chairman of HKCCC Shanghai, hands over 20,000 masks to Tangqiao Subdistrict in the Pudong New Area.
Earlier in the month, Andrew Yao, chairman of the Hong Kong-Shanghai Economic Development Association, and members of the Hong Kong and Macau committee of the CPPCC Shanghai Committee, launched a donation campaign.
They raised more than HK$ 1 million to purchase badly needed pandemic prevention supplies, such as protective suits, and delivered them to local communities to support their fight against the virus.
Mandy Kam, CEO of Shanghai Joyplus Fashion Co, transformed part of her garment factory's production lines to produce protective suits to alleviate the shortage on the front line.
"Hong Kong people and mainlanders live together in the city, so we should take our social responsibility in the fight against the common challenge in front us," she said.
Kam and more than 50 workers now live in the company in a closed loop.
They work day and night to produce more than 8,000 protective suits per day.
Kam deliver the products herself, which have benefited subdistricts in Huangpu, Hongkou, Putuo, Xuhui, Changning and Songjiang districts, as well as Pudong.
Protective items donated by Hong Kong enterprises
Harry Yiu, managing director of Je Feng Group (Hong Kong) and chief vice president of Shanghai-Hong Kong Association, said Hong Kong people have stayed positive and strong in the pandemic, with many working as volunteers in their communities.
The association had collected information on how to obtain daily necessities and seek medical services and shared this with Hong Kong people living in Shanghai. A hotel under his company had accommodated a medical team from Hebei Province who came to support Shanghai in the anti-pandemic fight.
Andy Leung, CEO of Shanghai HangFu Catering Management Co, has been volunteering to register residents in his compound and distribute antigen testing kits and daily supplies. Having studied medicine for four years, he also helps ease the anxiety of some neighbors.
"I'm glad to be a volunteer," he said. "I'm only a small flame with a Chinese heart in the big burning blaze of Shanghai. I'm confident that Shanghai will win the battle against the pandemic, so we should pull together to work for it."
Andy Leung delivers antigen testing kits to his neighbors.
Gilman Too, a partner with Accentrix IT Consulting Ltd, lives in a compound in Pudong with plenty of expats. He has been explaining the pandemic prevention and control measures to his neighbors and guiding them to take COVID tests step by step in Chinese or English.
"Some people may have different attitudes toward the lockdown and the tests, and we needed to explain to them why they should participate," he said.
During group nucleic acid tests, the volunteers would communicate with residents in advance to ensure members of a family are in the same group.
Too said volunteers in his community also help with group purchases.
"When organizing group buying, we also consider different preferences of our neighbors," he said. "For example, Chinese people prefer rice while many foreigners love flour."
Yik Man Cheung, director of the Hong Kong Financial Services Institute, joined the volunteer team in his compound with his wife to help with delivering supplies and organizing COVID tests in their building.
They received training on how to put on and take off protective clothing, and serve neighbors without contact.
"For example, when we deliver food or antigen testing kits, we put the items in front of their doors and inform them in our WeChat groups," he said.
Cheung said the disease control staff had a heavy workload so they decided to offer a hand.
"We are in charge of 140 people in our building and have found there are so many things to do," he said. "I can't image how hard they would have to work if there were no volunteers."
Kithanie Choi of Shanghai Fucheng Business Consulting Co became a tuanzhang, leader of group buying in Chinese, in her community, as well as volunteering with her husband to help distribute antigen testing kits and living supplies from the local government.
As a marketing director, she is in charge of purchasing bread for the 400 some families in the community in Putuo District. She found there was a huge demand for bread from children, and her mission was more tiring than her job.
She needs to survey all candidate suppliers to select the most suitable, and coordinate with the suppliers for delivery.
For each delivery, she has to work out a sheet to register detailed information of more than 400 buyers, including the types and numbers of the products they have ordered. Sometimes, her neighbors may place additional orders or want to change the orders. She is always patient to deal with the changes.
When all the orders are settled, she has to stay till midnight to compete with group buying leaders around the city to place the group orders with the suppliers. Some brands are so popular and in such short supply that the products can be snapped up in seconds after they hit the shelf.
When the products arrive in the community, Choi and her husband have to wait at the gate to pick them up and disinfect them before delivering them from door to door.
Theodora Louisa K H Hung, general manager of Ryu Culturecation Co, has also been coordinating the purchase and distribution of daily necessities in her community. She also helps elderly residents who don't know how to use smart phones buy food, and print homework and test papers for students.
"It's everyone's responsibility to protect the city where we live," she said.
"I feel happy to be able to serve the community. I also want to thank all the people who have left their home to fight on the front line in the war against the pandemic and those coming to support Shanghai in the fight, such as the truck drivers who drive day and night to transport supplies to us. I love Shanghai and I wish it will recover soon!"
