The COVID-19 effect has taken the world by storm: entire countries in lockdown, the economy collapsed, public and sporting events suspended. While authorities and media share warnings and recommendations to exhaustion, some wonder how things are in Wuhan, where it all began. The city remains virtually paralyzed, except for one exception: the delivery workers. Millions of people, from sick elderly to doctors in hospitals waiting for medicines, depend on these men who go out on their motorcycles, checking their temperature several times a day, and handling dozens of packages per round.
COVID-19 is a pandemic. More than 80,000 cases in China, another 12,400 in Italy, 10,000 in Iran, 2,200 in France and Spain respectively... the list goes on. The map showing the evolution of the virus is a veritable red tide, and in many countries, the main strategy basically reduces to waiting for spring. And that raises the question: What is happening in China? How do people survive at the epicenter of the disease?
They stay home, obey the authorities (who have imposed extreme measures), and depend on the delivery workers. The main activity on the streets of Wuhan is reduced to motorcycles and scooters that cut the silence with their engines. Fresh fruits and vegetables, dry foods, and even medical supplies for hospitals are delivered by couriers.
According to Qin Jun, director of the Commerce Department of Hubei, e-commerce platforms are processing an average of 22,000 daily orders, and moving more than 1,300 tons of merchandise. Logistics company JD Logistics confirmed it will need 20,000 additional workers to meet demand during the epidemic. Meanwhile, couriers face the damn virus with protection, multiple temperature checks per day, and tough twelve-hour daily shifts on their bikes...
Editor's note: The photographer identified as 'Stringer' asked to keep his true identity secret for fear of reprisals.
Source: NPR
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