Delivering essentials and joy amid pandemic lockdown
Delivery service personnel and volunteers are playing an increasingly vital role in securing basic necessities for residents in Shanghai's locked-down communities.
A Shanghai resident surnamed Ling, whose family member suffers from a chronic hematology condition, managed to order a drug from Meituan's online pharmacy service.
"I used to get the prescribed drug from Ruijin Hospital's Jiading branch, but now, I can only try my luck by turning to online delivery services," he said.
Ling received the drug over the weekend after the courier service picked up the drug from one of Shanghai No. 1 Pharmacy's outlets in Xuhui District, about 40 kilometers from his residential complex.
Meituan has connected with local drug retailers such as Shanghai No. 1 Pharmacy Co, Yifeng Pharmacy Chain and Sinopharm's Guoda Drug Stores, LBX Pharmcy Chain to meet soaring demand, especially among chronic patients.
Drug delivery orders for chronic diseases jumped 50 percent on Meituan in the first three weeks of this month, and the fastest-growing items were drugs for hypertension and diabetes.
Meituan has connected with local drug retailers to meet soaring demanding, especially among chronic patients.
Volunteered overtime
Chen Haiquan in his mid-30s who lives in Putuo District rushed to take up extra work at the NGS Supermarket Chain's outlet on Jinshajiang Road on Sunday.
"I have got my negative nucleic acid test result while many of my colleagues are still under lockdown. I feel it's essential to get fresh food and groceries delivered as quickly as possible to shoppers," he explained.
NGS Supermarket and its affiliates such as Haode and Kedi convenience stores have tied up with delivery sites such as Ele.me and JD Daojia, and Chen's work is to collect the merchandise and put them in designated areas for delivery staff to pick up when they arrive at the dispatch center.
Chen Haiquan takes up extra work at the NGS Supermarket Chain's outlet on Jinshajiang Road in Putuo District on Sunday.
Bright Dairy has also mobilized a team of some 300 volunteers for daily delivery orders in the city amid nucleic acid test screenings being carried out in multiple districts.
It handles about 1 million packaged dairy products on an average day for local residents and many volunteers rushed to help those who were unable to handle neighbourhood deliveries.
Bright Dairy's Speed Fresh Logistics handles about 300 trucks that dispatch not only dairy products but other fresh food and has since carried out strict disinfection measures.
Bright Dairy has mobilized a team of some 300 volunteers for daily delivery orders in the city.
Bright Dairy delivery service.
