Expats Join Shanghai’s Fight Against The Novel Coronavirus

Expats still in Shanghai are playing their part in combating the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.

Shanghai’s Pudong district is a home from home for over 150,000 expats, many of whom are actively fighting the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in their communities as well as on social media. The foreign community in the massive city is China’s largest, with a good number of incomers now praising the authorities for their rapid response in late January and their continuing attempts to stop the infection spreading still further.

One local government official told reporters the expat community thinks in the same way as local residents, in that they’re paying strict attention to frequently-updated measures to control the rapidly spreading disease. He added they’re confident the battle will be won as a result of both communities’ concerted efforts. One essential activity carried out successfully was the identification of foreigners who’d recently travelled to Wuhan or had moved to the big city before the virus outbreak began.

Official Chinese groups dealing with the situation now have at least one fluent English speaker, making it far easier for expats to understand local government policy, address their concerns and offer their support. The majority of expat residents are now in quarantine in their homes, with daily necessities as well as psychological support provided, thus helping them to cope with their unusual situation.

Another group have been kept busy translating public notices into various Western languages including English, ensuring those without Mandarin Chinese can stay up to date. For example, expats who’ve recently visited Hubei province are required to report to the local community, those who’ve returned from other regions must fill in personal health information forms and others who’re determined to remain in the city are being encouraged to stay in their homes as much as possible.