Donations worth US$52.8m given to Shanghai to support anti-COVID 19 campaign
A PCR volunteer scans the testing code for residents at a local community.
Shanghai has received 337 million yuan (US$52.8 million) in industry and society donations for COVID-19 prevention and control since the resurgence of the pandemic in March.
Of the amount, some 316 million yuan (US49.5 million) in both cash and supplies have been spent on the city's fight against the pandemic, Shanghai vice mayor Peng Chenlei said on Friday.
"There has been a surge of love from all walks of life in Shanghai since the COVID-19 outbreak, especially among foundations, industry associations, chambers of commerce, social service and other social organizations," Peng told the city's daily press briefing on COVID-19.
Shanghai Charity Foundation, for instance, has received 116 million yuan in donations and 86 million yuan has been spent, half of which was used to purchase camp beds and epidemic prevention supplies for local communities.
Shanghai Fosun Foundation and Shanghai Overseas Chinese Foundation have provided COVID-19 prevention supplies worth 30 million yuan to local communities and schools.
Other local charity organizations have established volunteer platforms to help people in difficulties under lockdown, according to the vice mayor.
A larger number of volunteer groups and teams have been offering services, including social work, psychological counseling, medical services and emergency rescue, to help Shanghai build a barrier against the pandemic, he said.
The city government will support and guide these social organizations to keep providing donations and volunteer services. Each donation will be publicized and well spent for the anti-COVID-19 fight, Peng added.
As one of the most active volunteer forces, 9,024 local retired soldiers have been organized into 57 community emergency volunteer teams to carry out nucleic acid tests, environment disinfection and logistics, said Deng Xiaodong, director of Shanghai Veteran Affairs Bureau.
A community volunteer delivers vegetables for residents under lockdown.
Answer the call anytime
The city announced a recruitment drive on April 8 to encourage local veteran People's Liberation Army soldiers to serve as community or medical service volunteers.
"On the day of retirement, each soldier had vowed to answer a call anytime and win the battle," Deng said. They have strong social responsibility, organizational discipline, are fearless to tiredness and can fight continuously, he added.
The veterans have played a key role during previous disasters or emergency issues, Deng said. Many of them have applied to become volunteers since the outbreak of Shanghai's COVID-19 resurgence.
Many retired soldiers with medical backgrounds have reinforced the front line of medics. Eleven medical teams of veteran soldiers have been dispatched to makeshift hospitals or PCR testing sites in seven local districts, including Yangpu, Hongkou and Jing'an.
Many elderly PLA doctors and medical experts have voluntarily opened an online consultation platform to serve patients via video talks.
Since the platform was launched on April 13, the senior experts have solved many problems for citizens under lockdown and those fighting against the pandemic on the front line.
Seventy-three medical experts and professors, including some academicians from the Changhai and Changzheng hospitals affiliated to the Naval Medical University, are offering online consultation services in three shifts every day, Deng said.
PCR testing volunteers muster at a local community.
