United front puts city on road to recovery

Family worries

Since late January, Jin Jianbo, 39, an express delivery worker in Wuhan, has isolated himself from his wife and 6-year-old daughter. Worried about infecting them with the virus, he stays in a different room at the family home after work, eats alone and chats with them via mobile phone video.

"I am anxious when I leave home for work in the morning," he said. "I once wanted to quit, but abandoned the idea when I realized many residents would not get food supplies without my services."

Jin, from Sanmenxia, Henan province, has worked for JD, one of the country's largest e-commerce platforms, since 2018. He said the past two months have been the most difficult time for him and his colleagues.

The company provides workers with face masks, gloves and protective gowns to reduce the chance of them becoming infected. However, Jin said he sometimes removes his gown before finishing work, as he feels too hot.

"As all residential areas are closed, we cannot deliver goods to the door and have to wait outside the gate," he said. "In many residential buildings, the lifts have been put out of service to prevent the virus spreading, so it takes much longer to wait for residents to pick up their supplies."

Due to the outbreak, the number of Jin's orders has fallen, but he still has to complete more than 100 every day.

"Most of them are for food, such as rice, flour and cooking oil. Initially, face masks and disinfectants, which were ordered in large quantities, quickly sold out," he said.

Despite his reduced orders, Jin is still working about 12 hours a day.

He said that about two-thirds of his colleagues are not at work because of the outbreak, with just nine on duty at the branch where he is based.

"Most of them returned to their hometown before the Spring Festival holiday and have not yet come back," he said.

"Some of them who live in villages have found it difficult to return to the city, as roads have been blocked to control the outbreak."

He hopes the virus can be eradicated as soon as possible and that life can return to normal.

"Then, I will happily be reunited with my family and will no longer feel afraid or worried," he said.