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February 18, 2021

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Home » District » Minhang

Amid coronavirus obstacles, we still welcomed in Year of the Ox

This was another disappointing year for Minhang residents who looked forward to returning to hometowns across China to spend the Chinese Lunar New Year with family.

Once again, coronavirus dashed many holiday plans, as authorities advised people not to travel to avoid spreading the disease.

But that doesn’t mean the holiday was necessarily a dismal event.

In Pujiang Town, some of the China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group’s workers returned to their hometowns well ahead of the holiday to avoid the travel crowds that might spread the infection.

Those who heeded authorities and stayed in Shanghai were told they could have holiday time off to visit hometown families after the threat had passed.

Cao Baohui, who is responsible for logistics and personnel management at the company, arranged holiday schedules according to progress on various segments of construction.

When he learned that several workers had pressing reasons to return to hometowns in Jiangxi Province, the company rented a car to take them home.

“The company arranged for us to take coronavirus tests and they came back negative, so there was no problem for us to leave,” said Bi Feiying, one of the workers who hopped in the rented car.

She has a son and a daughter back home and couldn’t wait to see them.

The car-rental fee was paid by the company, and the workers were told to keep in touch and inform the company of their safety.

Cao stayed in Shanghai instead of returning to his hometown in Hebei Province, one of the regions where clusters of new local cases were reported in the runup to the holiday.

“Of course, I wanted to go home to see my parents, but the pandemic had already recurred up there,” he said.

Cao was not idle. He organized catering services for workers who stayed in town.

Some Minhang companies used incentives to keep workers in Shanghai and stay on the job. Daikin Fluoro Coatings, for example, offered employees 1,500 yuan (US$230), and Engel Machinery distributed shopping cards and gift bags to its workers.

Migrant workers and college students staying put for the holiday were given free or discounted tickets to some of the hit movies screening in Minhang.

Zhaojialou Old Town was crammed with people hunting for local food specialties of the season.

At a stall selling salted meat, the owner said business was especially brisk. Some customers put in orders on WeChat and picked up their food later. The owner said some other customers traveled all the way from Baoshan District.

Among the popular local specialties were dried pig skin, salted chicken, pigs’ trotters and “drunken” geese stewed in spirits.

Most stall owners rose early every morning to cook foods for customers.




 

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