Property owners serve as community guardians

Editor's note: This series tells the stories of selfless individuals, from medical workers to volunteers, who are bravely fighting the virus outbreak with extraordinary dedication.

In the ongoing fight against the novel coronavirus, property managers have been called to serve as guardians of communities. Shen Yan, a property manager at Meilin First Village, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, is one of them.

Shen is said to be experienced in handling emergencies in the community. Her composure has strengthened the residents' resolve to fight the virus together.

When a community resident was suspected to be infected with the virus on Jan 27, Shen and her team worked closely with the medical staff to find the resident's close contacts, and disinfected the entire building where the person's home was located.

They also kept the neighbors informed about the development.

"Fortunately, the resident was not infected with the virus, and was discharged from hospital," said Shen.

Such practices have not only prevented the virus from affecting the community, but also helped avoid panic.

"From Feb 10, all residents of our community had to report their health condition and travel details since Jan 1 through 'iShenzhen' app and get QR codes to enter the community," said Shen.

Her colleagues monitor residents'health by checking their temperature every day.

Even before local governments enforced tough measures to control the epidemic, Shen called off some activities that were planned to celebrate Spring Festival on Jan 22.

"I view myself as chief of the community, and I am responsible for the safety of 30,000 residents," Shen said.

To raise people's awareness about the urgency of the situation, she regularly holds meetings with her colleagues to constantly optimize their measures keeping in mind the needs of the residents.

When a male resident in his 50s did not wear a face mask when walking in the community's public area, Shen advised him about the importance of self-protection in the current situation.

Shen and her colleagues also put up posters, asking residents to wear masks.

At 35 locations within the community, her team placed special bins for discarding used masks, which are sent to the community health service center for proper disposal every day.

Residents of the community are alerted about potential risks of novel coronavirus through the team's awareness campaigns.

The public areas are sterilized four times a day, while the plastic foils on the elevator buttons in the community are replaced twice a day.

"These are all effective measures to curb the virus," said Li Xing, a resident of the community and retired customs officer. The officer spoke highly of Shen's team.

Shen's experience in fighting the severe acute respiratory syndrome prompted her to persuade her property management company－in which she has been a property manager since 2003－to purchase masks, disinfectant fluid and other necessary materials before they could run out of supply.

These materials have proved indispensable in protecting her colleagues in their daily work.

Since Spring Festival, Shen has been working till late hours every day. "It is much safer staying at home. But it is my duty to take care of the community. And none of my colleagues complains about it," she said.

"I certainly wear a mask and pay special attention to protect myself," Shen said when talking about her family's concerns for her safety.

Now, all the deliveries in the community are directed to one fixed location for residents to come and pick up. If the residents are unable to collect them, Shen would get them delivered to their homes.

Shen's dedication has won her praise and support from the property owners.

"What excites me most is when we need their (residents) cooperation, they work with us without any hesitation," Shen added.