Shanghai residents step up to assist massive antigen testing
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Gong Yuyi (left), a resident of Gonghexin Road Subdistrict, Jing’an District, volunteers at her residential complex on Saturday.
Ti Gong -
Zhang Ying (left), a resident of Zizhu Peninsula, a residential complex in Minhang District, volunteers together with her husband on Saturday, which was their wedding anniversary.
Ti Gong -
Zhou Fan (left), a police officer from Baoshan District who lives in Miaohang Town, serves his neighbors together with his wife.
Ti Gong -
Han Zongqin (first from right), a police officer who works at the police station of terminal buildings of Pudong International Airport, helps at two residential complexes on Saturday.
Ti Gong -
Chen Qi, an officer of the economic crime investigation police who lives in Gaojing Town, Baoshan District, helps at her residential complex on Saturday.
Ti Gong -
Gong Ting (left) who works at the Volunteer Service Center of Xujing Town, Qingpu District, helps at a residential complex on Saturday.
Ti Gong
With most city residents taking rapid COVID-19 antigen self-tests at home this weekend, and for many the first time, local communities were short staffed and called for volunteers to help distribute the kits.
Their calls were promptly answered, and a number of residents who volunteered to serve their neighbors shared their experiences with Shanghai Daily.
Gong Yuyi, a resident of Gonghexin Road Subdistrict of Jing'an District, said she saw a notice for the recruitment for volunteers in the WeChat group of residents of her residential building and responded together with four others.
In their protection suits, Gong and her fellow volunteers distributed the self-testing kits to their neighbors going from door to door.
"I want to set an example for my son who encouraged me to serve and help others," she said.
Zhang Ying, a resident of Zizhu Peninsula, a residential complex in Minhang District, volunteered together with her husband on Saturday, despite it being their wedding anniversary.
Zhang said her husband had undergone surgery a few months ago, but he felt he was up to the task. He was in charge of knocking on doors to inform neighbors of the tests.
"Together we felt this was a very meaningful way to celebrate our anniversary, since we had no outing plans anyway," she said, calling it their "mid-life romance."
Neighbors were understanding and cooperative, and their job was done in about two hours, with two doctors volunteering to serve elderly people who live alone and have problems using the self-testing kits.
Li Qinghao, a resident of Weifang Subdistrict in the Pudong New Area, volunteered in his residential complex where there are a number of expats.
"The community hoped to recruit volunteers who speak English, German and Japanese for the service, and a bunch of us showed up," he said.
Since residents of his residential complex had just had a PCR test this week, some expats asked why it was necessary to do antigen tests on the heel of that. The Chinese volunteers explained and advised them to be patient with the pandemic control measures.
Zhou Fan, a police officer from Baoshan District who lives in Miaohang Town, served his neighbors together with his wife. The couple moved into their residential complex just a month ago.
"We figured it was a good opportunity for us to get to know our neighbors, and it really was," he said. "I met a police college teacher who also wanted to join the volunteers."
Zhou is among the 4,000 police officers in Shanghai who work from home who are serving their residential communities over the weekend.
In the Pudong New Area, Han Zongqin, a police officer who works at the police station of terminal buildings of Pudong International Airport, helped at two residential complexes on Saturday.
"I was originally assigned to another residential complex, but since they had enough hands there I offered to help elsewhere," he said.
Han's work will continue on Sunday in his own residential complex where a part of the residents were not able to do the tests on Saturday.
While in some residential complexes the tests were completed within two to three hours, in others it took longer.
Chen Qi, an officer of the economic crime investigation police who lives in Gaojing Town, Baoshan District, helped at her residential complex from 7am to 5pm on Saturday.
"We had to make sure that no one is left out and that people who can't do self-tests get help," she said.
Workers of the public sector were mobilized to assist the tests in residential communities.
Gong Ting who works at the Volunteer Service Center of Xujing Town, Qingpu District, was assigned to help at a residential complex away from her home together with a few of her colleagues.
"Since we're not familiar with the residential complex, it took us some time to reach homes," she said. "We're not fluent English speakers, but we managed to convey the message to expats who live there."
Ordinary residents, Gong said, are taking an active part in the battle against the pandemic.
"People are generous about devoting their free time to helping their neighbors," she said.