Shenzhen making foreign residents feel safe amid outbreak

"I feel safe in Shenzhen," said Andres from Columbia, who lives in a community with more than 270 foreign residents in the Longhua district of Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

Various protective items provided by community staff guard the residents' safety against the novel coronavirus, he said.

The community plays a continuous loop of epidemic prevention advice in English and Chinese, reminding residents to "please wear a surgical mask", among other things.

In the wake of the outbreak, the community sent an English letter to foreign residents detailing guidelines for epidemic prevention and control and motivating them to collaborate with the community to fight against the epidemic.

Aware of the foreign residents from 42 countries, the community established a special team to provide services for them, tackling the most pressing needs and solving their difficulties during the epidemic, according to Fu Qiyi, an official of the community.

Multilingual notices are placed at various checkpoints, reminding foreign residents to observe prevention and control policies.

Since February, the community recruited a translation volunteer team — 20 people capable of interpreting English, Japanese, French, Korean and other languages — to maintain efficient communication with foreign residents.

He Song, an information and technology engineer, joined the team with his wife.

"I understand exactly what help a foreigner badly needs in such a special situation," said the man, who has years of experience living in France. "In spite of different cultures and living habits, they actively cooperate with our work."

The community also set up a WeChat group to respond to foreign residents when they need help, Fu said. "We will promote our management and improve services for local residents, irrespective of where they are from."