Stand together to fight the virus
Print Edition
In the ongoing fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19), we are all brothers and sisters without borders. United shall we stand in the face of a new disease human beings have never known before.
Shanghai announced on Wednesday that it will treat all inbound people on an equal footing. All those entering China through Shanghai will be subject to strict health checks, including thermal tests and filing personal information. Health management measures are also in place at the communities, hotels and companies where the incoming passengers will finally reside.
The announcement came at a time when certain countries have reported a sharp increase in cases of COVID-19. It served to assure the world that the city remains open despite the arduous task of stemming the spread of the virus.
Not just Shanghai, but many other Chinese cities have extended their arms to welcome inbound travelers, though these travelers will also be required to go through strict quarantine checks. For instance, Weihai, a scenic city in Shandong Province, said on Tuesday that all those coming from Japan and South Korea, including Chinese people, will be escorted to designated hotels for a free 14-day stay. Everyone will live in his or her own room not to be shared with others for a fortnight’s health observance. The Weihai government asked local departments and employees to treat people coming from the two neighboring countries like their own relatives or friends and serve them well with hospitality.
Also on Tuesday, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry said at a press conference that China had kept a close eye on the coronavirus epidemic in Japan and South Korea. As neighbors, the three countries should beef up cooperation and help each other, he said, adding that Japan and South Korea have helped China with its fight against the virus, and now China is ready to do what it can to assist the two neighbors according to their demand.
The move by Shanghai and Weihai to treat inbound passengers equally and with a warm heart attests to the need of humankind to stand together as one in the war on the world’s common threat, that is, the new virus.
Wherever we come from and wherever we go, we are one as brothers and sisters. In this war, there’s no place for xenophobia or racism.
Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday that Los Angeles County officials had voiced solidarity with China on Monday in its battle against the virus. Kathryn Barger, chair of Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, was quoted as saying that fear of Chinese people in the community was “unfounded” and “unacceptable.” Barbara Ferrer, director of Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, said: “Discrimination that is targeting our Asian-American and Chinese-American friends and businesses is extraordinarily harmful to our entire community.”
In the face of a virus, every man and woman is or possibly is a victim. The epidemic broke out in Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, but it’s not the fault of Wuhan people.
On the contrary, millions of Wuhan residents have isolated themselves, bearing the brunt of the viral outbreak, so as to prevent the virus from spreading as much as they can.
As the World Health Organization expert Bruce Aylward said recently, the world is in debt to Wuhan people (for their sacrifices).
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