Unknown Heroes

Efforts at the community level lay a solid foundation for China’s battle against COVID-19

- Hu Fan

On March 18, Wuhan, capital city of Hubei Province, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, reported no new infected cases for the first time. The heartening achievement was the result of the unremitting and joint efforts of all the people in the country. Among them, community workers have been an important strength.

During his visit to Wuhan on March 10, President Xi Jinping talked to community workers, volunteers, and residents, in addition to COVID-19 patients and medical personnel. He thanked all those working at the community level, calling their work the key to containing the disease, and spoke highly of the contribution of the people of Wuhan after the city, with a population of around 10 million, was locked down.

The positive trend in containing the disease could not have been achieved without the sacrifice, devotion, perseverance and hard work of the people of Wuhan, he said.

Another front

Jia Yumin never thinks of herself as brave. She was among the first batch of citizens in Wuhan to take protective measures. Following her husband’s advice, she wore a mask on her way to work, despite feeling out of place on the subway full of passengers who were yet unaware of how serious the epidemic could be.

Her family was busy with their own challenges at the time. Her father was in pain from a failed surgery and had come to Wuhan from her hometown in north China for more appropriate medical care. Her younger brother and his family had also arrived to help take care of the father. They were all stuck in Wuhan in her home when the city was announced to be locked down on February 23 to prevent further spread of the epidemic.