Salute to heroic people in Wuhan

By Shen Shen

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday inspected Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) in central China’s Hubei province, praising the prevention and control efforts there.

He visited medics and patients, People’s Liberation Army commanders and soldiers, community residents and workers, police officers, grassroots cadres, officials and volunteers on the frontline of the battle against the novel coronavirus, and paid high respect to them.

Calling Wuhan a heroic city and its people heroic people, Xi said they will be remembered in history for the final victory against the disease and the whole nation is deeply moved by Wuhan people.

Xi extended greetings to the people in Wuhan. The president also spoke highly of and affirmed the huge sacrifices and great contributions Wuhan people have made in preventing and controlling the epidemic. His remarks expressed the common aspiration of the 1.4 billion Chinese people.

Hubei province, especially Wuhan, was most hit by COVID-19, becoming a key region for winning the battle against the epidemic.

In the face of the epidemic, medical workers in Hubei and those assisting them from across the country went in harm’s way and became “warriors in white”; military personnel answered the call rapidly and fought bravely against the disease; community workers, police officers, grassroots cadres, officials, and volunteers feared no difficulty and stayed on the frontline; plain citizens actively rose to the occasion and contributed to the battle in their own way.

There are names that should be remembered, including Zhang Dingyu, head of Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, and also a frontline medical worker with ALS disease, Zhang Jixian, the first doctor reporting the novel coronavirus, and Xu Xiaofeng, a police officer suffering from intestinal cancer but still staying at his post.

These people, standing up for the health of others against challenges, are building an iron wall of defense.

According to a research paper published on Science magazine, the travel quarantine of Wuhan, starting Jan. 23, delayed the overall epidemic progression by 3 to 5 days on Chinese mainland, and reduced global case importations by nearly 80% by mid-February.

This is why we should thank the people in Wuhan. The lockdown of Wuhan almost stagnated the city, affecting over ten million citizens. However, in the war against the epidemic, the people there have always borne the overall situation in mind, and demonstrated bravery, determination and unyielding spirit. They did all they could to support the epidemic prevention and control, and proactively joined the fight against the epidemic.

Their huge contribution showcased their resilience and noble character to both the country and the world. The table could not have been turned without the sacrifice, devotion, perseverance and efforts of the people in the city.

Such devotion and sacrifice of Wuhan people are seen by the whole world. “To the people of Wuhan, it is recognized that the world is in your debt, and when this disease finishes, hopefully, we will have a chance to thank the people in Wuhan for the role that they played in it. I know people in the city have gone through an extraordinary period and they are going through it, " said Bruce Aylward, the foreign head of the WHO-China Joint Mission on COVID-19, after a visit to Wuhan.

Such sincere remarks carry justice and public opinion, and are recognized by the visionary all over the world. Wuhan people, with concrete actions, demonstrated the strength and spirit of China, as well as the Chinese people’s devotion to family and country – something enables them to stick together through thick and thin and support each other. This is why they have won gratitude and respect from the world.

The prevention and control efforts have entered a critical period. While paying respect to Wuhan people, we should stand firmly with them to overcome difficulties and defeat the epidemic together. With the strong support the 1.4 billion Chinese people, the heroic Wuhan people will overcome all difficulties.

Source: People’s Daily/People’s Daily Online