Neighborhood puts up walls against virus

“Hi there, I am not allowed to enter your neighborhood now, so could you please come to take your order near the security post at the front gate?” 

That was a phone call this morning from Sun Yong, a courier for JD.com, one of China’s largest online retailers.

Hanging up the phone, I sashayed from my home to the front gate of our neighborhood, said hello to the lad, and collected my beverage. Sun was then calling other residents one by one to come fetch their stuff.

Sun, whose hometown is in Shandong Province, has been a popular courier in our neighborhood and vicinity in Qingpu District for a couple of years since he joined JD.com. Our security guards know him well and would never stop him entering our neighborhood – until this morning.

To prevent further spread of novel coronavirus pneumonia, our neighborhood decided yesterday to bar courier services. Other visitors will also be advised to stay away. 

It’s the first time our neighborhood has put up walls against visitors, especially couriers, since we moved in about eight years ago when it was built. The heightened security comes on the heels of a call from the Shanghai government yesterday to strengthen preventive measures against the virus at neighborhood level. Also yesterday, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for firm reliance on people to win the battle against the virus.

To win that battle on the virus, which can spread through body contact as well as coughing, the movement of people must be well managed. Government regulations to restrict public transport are necessary, but the “last mile” often lies in neighborhoods, where no information about who comes from where should be neglected.

The act of an ordinary person often holds sway in the success of a community. At a time of an emerging fight against a new virus, it cannot be more timely for the government to call on ordinary people — like you and me – to do good, and do it well. Our neighborhood security guards are not police officers, but they act as diligently and forcefully. 

Apparently, a female guard in her 20s ordered another courier to park his moped far from the front gate of our neighborhood this morning. As he tried to move it nearer she shouted: “Don’t you ever come closer!” It was not an outburst of anger; it was a manifestation of her responsibility. 

A commentary in one Chinese newspaper says the citizens’ sense of responsibility has played a vital role in Shanghai’s effective handling of the situation.

We have become accustomed to collecting our orders on our doorstep, but this time many of us – not just in our neighborhood, but also across the city — have willingly walked “the extra mile” to help minimize the risk of contagion. 

It’s by no means a bias against couriers. On the contrary, we owe our lives in this time of emergency to their hard work during the Spring Festival, unflinching in the face of the virus. Be it JD.com or Dingdong Maicai (affiliated with 100.me), many online retailing platforms have been working extra time during the emergency to keep Shanghai residents supplied with food and other daily necessities, and well away from the risk of going to crowded markets. 

Today, Xinhua news agency quoted Wen Yumei, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering, as saying it was a good social measure that the public’s need to go out was reduced. 

“As the virus spreads, human immunity against the virus will also improve,” she said. “When people’s collective immune system strengthens, the virus will be curbed in the end.”

Xinhua today also quoted Ma Xiaowei, head of the National Health Commission, as saying that prevention at present is very important. Wen explained: “The measures taken now will have an effect about 20 days later.” 

Xinmin Evening News quoted a national medical expert as saying that the new virus can spread from one person to another within a distance of 1 to 2 meters through coughing or contact. 

By yesterday, Shanghai had confirmed 66 cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia, with the oldest patient aged 88 and the youngest just 7. Nationwide, 4,515 such cases had been confirmed.

“Are you worried about the virus?” I asked Sun this morning. “Has it affected your work?”

“Not that much,” he replied. “It mainly makes it a bit more inconvenient for our customers. As for myself, I will take care not to expose myself or others to risks.”

Shortly after I took my order home, I received a message asking me to add him as his WeChat friend. I agreed and received his timely notice about the availability of a much-sought-after disinfectant that had been out of stock for some time.