Shanghai caring for its community workers

Shanghai has released eight measures to encourage, motivate and create a caring environment for the city's community workers who sacrificed their rest to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, the city's civil affairs authorities announced on Thursday. 

They had made great contributions in preventing the spread of the coronavirus, the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau said. 

The measures include subsidies, insurance, recruitment and promotion priority, the bureau said. 

The application of technology in epidemic prevention and control, and management at communities, will be stepped up to ease pressure on community workers, the bureau said. 

Psychological and emotional counseling should be provided to community workers on the front line, the bureau said. 

A recruitment plan is seeking university graduates to work at communities, and volunteers with expertise in foreign languages, medical treatment, psychology and social work are being encouraged to join community epidemic prevention and control teams, the bureau said. 

There will also be awards for outstanding community workers.