Suzhou praised for COVID transparency

A heartwarming welcome and a detailed explanation of how some students got infected with COVID-19 and how they would be taken care of in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, won the hearts of Chinese netizens recently.

On Thursday, the official WeChat social media account of the Suzhou information office said that 15 of Tuesday's 24 new infections were from a secondary technical school in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, while 43 of Wednesday's 47 infections were also from the school.

The office said students came to the city to intern at local companies with an eagerness to learn. However, infections spread on the intercity bus on which they traveled.

"Suzhou will certainly treat and take good care of these teachers and students," it said, adding that netizens should not worry.

"Suzhou will always welcome talent to work and start businesses here," it added.

In contrast to cities that hesitated to clarify infection sources and simply forbid people from traveling, Suzhou's moves have won applause from many netizens.

"Suzhou is a warm and responsible city," said a netizen who goes by "Arrain" on WeChat. "It replies to inquiries in the comment section and makes responsible promises."

"It gives people a sense of security," said a netizen called "Bunny Oh Piggy" on Sina Weibo.

Another netizen, "male cat", said the government's reply reminded him of what a senior local official said previously: "You can always have faith in Suzhou."