Couple axes wedding as locals boost virus battle

AS medical staff and health care professionals in Shanghai are busy fighting a resurgence of coronavirus cases, normal residents are also chipping in with their own efforts.

A couple in Chongming District recently canceled their wedding ceremony at the last moment in response to intensifying COVID-19 prevention and control measures.

Mao Rui, the groom, and his bride, Li Fu, both born in the 1990s, scheduled their traditional nuptials on January 23.

Just the night before the ceremony, they decided to abandon the original grandiose banquet. Instead, they send the alreadybooked dishes to their friends, relatives and neighbors.

Li said she and Mao both supported the cancellation after the city announced COVID19 measures on January 22, which restricts mobility and discourages gatherings for the upcoming Spring Festival.

So far, 16 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases have been reported in Shanghai, with several downtown residential areas under lockdown.

“It will be a lie to say you are not disappointed at all,” admitted Li. “But safety comes first, and we still have received huge blessings in different ways.”

Their action and generosity drew praise from netizens.

“Such behavior is particularly touching during this special period,” was a comment on Weibo.

For Xiaoliang, 15, who was quarantined after coming in for a brief treatment at Renji Hospital’s west branch in Huangpu District on January 15, a guitar has been his weapon to fight anxiety and relieve the pressure on medical staff.

He was hospitalized for follow-up checks after being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.

He arrived without his parents as he thought he would only be in hospital for a few days. However, the hospital was put under closed-loop management on January 21 after a worker was confirmed with COVID-19 and everyone in the hospital was forced to endure a 14-day quarantine.

It’s common for people with digestive problems to have a fever, and two of his ward mates became anxious about having a fever. So, Xiaoliang chatted with them and invited them to watch videos on his laptop, which greatly eased any panic in the ward.

Xiaoliang was delighted to receive his guitar.

He missed his guitar so much that his mother took it to the hospital on Monday. After a full disinfection, the guitar given to him in the ward.

Xiaoliang was delighted with his guitar, and he played “Love Yourself” by Justin Bieber for everyone in the ward.