Neighborhoods on the prevention and control frontline
Doctors wear surgical hats, masks, goggles and protective suits to fight against the novel coronavirus.
Neighborhoods are the forefront and the end of epidemic prevention. Their high population density and complex personnel structure makes infection prevention and control of novel coronavirus a tough task.
To enhance virus prevention and control effectively at grassroots level is not only about a great rush to get things done but also in a clever way with warmth and trustworthiness.
Social workers, property management staff, Party members and volunteers in each neighborhood in Jiading gave up their holidays and other time off to put themselves on the frontline of the epidemic battle.
They studied countermeasures and concentrated their efforts on difficult problems to build a “wall of iron” around their common home.
Humans plus technology, the most effective anti-epidemic measure
A community volunteer takes a resident’s temperature before he drives back into the neighborhood.
Like most residential quarters in Shanghai, neighborhoods follow the new rules of the city’s civil affairs authorities, which include ramping up visitor registration, staffing all entrances, mandatory temperature checks and home quarantine for those returning to Shanghai from affected areas.
Anyone found with a high temperature or any other symptoms is sent for medical checkup or treatment.
Security cameras everywhere provide remote, real-time surveillance.
In case of any suspected person, workers in the sub-command center of urban operations will carry out monitoring and tracking immediately, and inform the local neighborhood community and the police.
Grassroots cadres go door-to-door to check identities of returnees and travelers, and report to supervisors every day.
Working with neighbors to curb the spreading virus
The police take a resident’s temperature to make sure he is in good health.
Jiading neighbors Kunshan and Taicang cities in Jiangsu Province. Hence, the district works with both cities to cut the transmission path of the virus.
All the passages linking the two cities with Jiading have been closed and checkpoints established. Security guards are on duty at the checkpoints around the clock.
Neighborhoods and villages that are close to Kunshan and Taicang have security staff at entrances.
Preventing the spread from all aspects
High-rise buildings in Jiading have placed packets of tissue in elevators that people are encouraged to use when pressing buttons.
A campaign is underway in Jiading on the cleaning and disinfection of homes and communities for coronavirus prevention and control.
Local residents have been taught the proper way to disinfect and ventilate their homes while community officials have organized personnel to clean and disinfect public places and garbage bins.
Workers also disinfected public toilets, wet markets, supermarkets, gyms, community service centers and activity venues to prevent the virus spreading.
A worker takes garbage to a garbage sorting truck.
High-rise buildings have placed packets of tissue in elevators that people are encouraged to use when pressing buttons. Used masks are safely recycled or disposed of. Special trash cans have been set up in the district’s neighborhoods as centralized disposal points for used masks.
Meanwhile, cleaners wearing protective gear have been sent to collect rubbish at the homes of those in quarantine.
Party members and volunteers at the forefront
Community’s staff members check the household information.
Apart from going door-to-door checking the identities of returnees and travelers, neighborhood Party secretaries also organize volunteers to promote knowledge on epidemic prevention and control.
Some Party members donate to fund China’s public health and support frontline health workers and hospitals, while others work as neighborhood volunteers.
Local residents and foreigners in Jiading also volunteer their services to contribute to epidemic prevention and control.
Courtesy services
A nurse helps a patient put on a drip in hospital.
Grassroots cadres and social workers are taking care of people in quarantine and do their best to solve their difficulties.
Two neighborhood cadres drove back a car of a returnee from Wuhan, epicenter of the outbreak, since he had parked his car at Pudong International Airport before being put in 14-day home quarantine.
Community workers helped a local resident unite with his wife and newborn baby after 14 days’ quarantine.
As canteens for elderly people are closed amid the epidemic, community workers deliver food to elderly residents and help them register for mask-purchase vouchers on their doorstep.
They also gift masks to those in urgent need, such as pregnant women and the seriously disabled.
Inspiring culture
A kuaiban (clapper talk) artist records his minute-long performance calling on people not to be afraid of the virus and to concentrate minds on winning the battle.
Artists in Jiading are using their own special skills to express their determination to fight against the virus.
A music video has been created to express gratitude and support to frontline medical workers, and a stage play eulogizes neighborhood cadres’ hard work and selfless dedication.
A nursery rhyme by a volunteer in Jiading teaches primary and secondary students and kindergarten children tips on epidemic prevention and control as well as the right way to disinfect and protect themselves.
Two storytelling performances have been uploaded online to popularize knowledge of epidemic prevention and control to community residents on the one hand and, on the other hand, to encourage grassroots workers fighting against the virus.
They also carry and transmit the confidence and determination of all grassroots epidemic prevention workers to win the final victory.
