Foreign volunteers help fight epidemic in China

A local resident thanks Farr, a volunteer from New Zealand, for his help in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, April 10, 2022. As China strengthens its epidemic prevention and control measures in the face of a COVID-19 resurgence, many volunteers including foreigners have joined the anti-epidemic fight. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

HAIKOU, April 11 (Xinhua) -- As China strengthens its epidemic prevention and control measures in the face of a COVID-19 resurgence, many volunteers including foreigners have joined the anti-epidemic fight.

In Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, volunteers from different countries, including the United States, New Zealand and Ghana, assisted with anti-epidemic services and made their own contributions to helping the city.

At a nucleic acid testing site in Haikou on Sunday, Tommy from America checked people's temperatures and made sure that they maintained the proper distance.

Having lived in Hainan for 12 years, Tommy speaks fluent Chinese, and even some Hainan dialect, and he now calls himself "new Hainanese."

"Hainan is my second home," he said. "If I can go out and help out, if I have this opportunity to help out, I should take advantage of that and help out my Hainanese friends."

At the testing site, he greeted local residents in Hainan dialect from time to time. Every time he saw kids coming, he would put on his cartoon mask and interact with them.

"I know that all the kids are going back to school tomorrow, so I knew there would be a lot of kids today, so I brought a bunch of cartoon masks to wear to interact with them," he said.

Tommy said that some kids might be a little scared of foreigners, while some may be scared about coming to do their first nucleic acid test.

"I thought if there's anything I can do to help them relax, help them to have fun, help them to have a good experience today, then I'll do that. "

Tommy has participated in volunteer work twice recently. "I'm really impressed with all the people that are coming out to get their test done," he said, adding that there is a strong sense of community in Hainan.

"Everybody here on Hainan island is working together to make it a better place to live."

Farr from New Zealand is 69 year old, but says that one is "never too old to be a volunteer."

It is his belief that people are doing volunteer work as their way of saying thank you to the community for what it has done for them.

"It's the simplest way of saying thank you to the community," he said. "I feel good because I'm doing something for the community. Although it may look small, it's something."

Kingsford from Ghana stood in the sun for hours, guiding people to ensure they kept the distance.

Following his graduation from Hainan Normal University one year ago, he decided to stay in Hainan and start a business. He now runs a foreign-trade company in Haikou.

"Hainan has given a lot to me personally. So, it's no big deal to come and help out a little bit," he said.

He feels that helping prevent the spread of the virus in the community is meaningful work, as the COVID-19 virus can be reduced in Hainan and people can move around freely.

Several days ago, Tommy underwent a period of self-quarantine, during which he wrote a funny song, encouraging people to stay at home to protect themselves and others.

"The song's kind of funny and kind of silly. But I think a lot of people saw it and it made them smile, so it was worth the effort," said Tommy. 

Kingsford, a volunteer from Ghana, guides a girl to take the nucleic acid test in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, April 10, 2022.

As China strengthens its epidemic prevention and control measures in the face of a COVID-19 resurgence, many volunteers including foreigners have joined the anti-epidemic fight.

(Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

Farr, a volunteer from New Zealand, helps a resident in wheelchair take the nucleic acid test in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, April 10, 2022.

As China strengthens its epidemic prevention and control measures in the face of a COVID-19 resurgence, many volunteers including foreigners have joined the anti-epidemic fight.

(Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

Tommy, a volunteer from America, checks a resident's body temperature in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, April 10, 2022.

As China strengthens its epidemic prevention and control measures in the face of a COVID-19 resurgence, many volunteers including foreigners have joined the anti-epidemic fight.

(Xinhua/Guo Cheng)