GUANGZHOU, April 22 (Xinhua) –– At 9 a.m., Angolan student Rufino Eugenio Guilherme, 26, put on protective gear carefully before his regular visit to the hotel guests under quarantine.
He delivered breakfast, collected garbage, took temperatures for them before responding to any particular needs by phone.
Guilherme is a volunteer at the Headquarter International Hotel, a designated venue for medical observation in Huangpu District of Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province.
In early April, Guangzhou ordered all personnel from high-risk countries, no matter when they arrive, to undergo nucleic acid testing and a 14-day home observation or concentrated medical observation, measures to spot cases and prevent the spread of the virus.
By Tuesday, the city had reported 349 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 125 were imported and another 26 infected by the imported ones, the municipal health commission said Wednesday.
Guilherme, who started his own medical observation earlier this month, was impressed by the kindness of local community workers and volunteers.
"It's very considerate of the doctors to call me every day, consulting my condition and addressing my needs," said Guilherme, who decided to join the volunteers upon the completion of his quarantine.
Guilherme said he was able to help foreigners better understand the local rules and collaborate with the community workers.
"I come from Africa. It may be easier for African brothers and sisters to talk with me," he said in Chinese.
Recommended by his parents, who used to do business in Guangzhou, Guilherme came to the city in 2015 to study computer science at the South China University of Technology.
He said as a city of diversity, Guangzhou opens arms to people from Africa and around the world.
"I'm doing my best to help it heal from the pandemic, and I believe everyone should join hand in hand to fight against the virus," he said.
Zhang Wuqiong, a local community worker, said Guilherme, working four to five hours a day, contributed a lot to their work, especially in the aspect of communicating with foreign guests. "We like him a lot," she said.
By Friday, Huangpu District reported 3,030 inbound travelers who had undergone medical observation, including 967 foreign citizens. A total of 824 are still being isolated either at home or hotels.
While Guilherme worked in suffocating protective gear at the hotel, Sala Francois Serge, 39, went door to door in a residential community in Huadu District, checking on those under quarantine at home.
Serge, from the Republic of Congo, said the community workers helped him a lot when he followed self-isolation rules at home.
He said whenever he needed fresh vegetables and other necessities, he would call or send them a WeChat message, and then they would deliver them directly to his doorstep.
Serge later became a friend of the community workers and joined them as a volunteer.
He said the community has provided detailed epidemic preventive measures to him, and he would like to pass the information to his fellow African people.
"I speak English, French, Portuguese and Chinese, so it's easier for me to explain the local laws and regulations to those who speak these languages," said Serge.
Serge has been in China for 15 years for study and trades. Although his business has been affected by the pandemic, Serge is confident in the future prospects in China.
"I have faith in the Chinese people," he said. Enditem
