Ottawa Citizen

How city’s Chinese community set up a ‘wall of love’ against COVID-19

- epayne@postmedia.com ELIZABETH PAYNE

For two weeks in February, Lily Huang had no face-to-face contact with anyone from the outside world.

The recently graduated software developer had not visited China and was not considered high risk for COVID-19, the novel coronaviru­s spreading worldwide, nor was her roommate. But when her roommate went into voluntary isolation after visiting parts of China away from the COVID-19 epicentre, Huang felt it was her duty to do the same.

Luckily for Huang, her roommate and dozens of other members of Ottawa’s Chinese community, a group of volunteers was ready to take care of them while in isolation.

The west-end Ottawa group, organized by Wilson Wang and Lianne Zhou, president of the Kanata Lakes Community Associatio­n, began to see a need to support people returning to Ottawa from China and isolating themselves at home.

Wang said it was formed as a response to growing fear and panic about the coronaviru­s and a means to make a difference.

Made up of hundreds of volunteers — mostly strangers to each other — members of the group based in Ottawa’s west end have been buying groceries, running car shuttles to the airport so that people arriving can drive themselves home, and even offering emotional counsellin­g to those in isolation, all with no face-to-face contact.

Huang said she never met the volunteers who were helping to make her isolation easier — they left groceries at her door and she would pay electronic­ally.

Wang calls it a “wall of love” against the virus.

He believes members of the Chinese community support groups (there are now three in the city) can serve as examples of how members of the community can help each other to reduce the impact of novel coronaviru­s. So far, the groups have supported 30 people in isolation and more are expected.

“We are choosing to be responsibl­e. We all united to help each other. We can unite everybody to fight against it.”

It is something that Ottawa’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches says everyone in the community should be prepared to do for neighbours who might need support, especially as the coronaviru­s spreads and more people return from trips in the coming weeks.

“We are all in this together,” Etches said in a statement.

According to public health officials, community actions, such as those being quietly carried out by the Chinese community support networks in Ottawa, will have a big impact on how the virus spreads.

“It is not the Public Health Agency of Canada that is going to stop COVID-19. It’s going to be the population of Canada working as a surveillan­ce system, washing their hands and rapidly detecting and notifying and working with the system,” Canadian Dr. Bruce Aylward, who led the World Health Organizati­on’s mission to China, recently told a CTV interviewe­r.

He could have been talking about the group formed by Wang and Zhou with the help of many volunteers.

Etches said Ottawa will see many more people in isolation over the next few weeks as residents return from March break and spring travel.

She called on the entire community to check with neighbours to make sure they have similar support if they are isolated at home.

“It’s encouragin­g to see groups of volunteers stepping up to support each other,” she said.

Chris Song, who volunteers with the group, said those who have chosen to self-isolate should be recognized for their sacrifice.

“What they are doing is way beyond the government’s recommenda­tions. They are using their self-discipline to be responsibl­e citizens. It is a small act but is really contributi­ng to the well-being of the community.”

Because Lily Huang understand firsthand what COVID -19 can do to a community, she was anxious to go above and beyond to prevent it from arriving in Ottawa.

“I know exactly how the virus affects daily life,” she said. Her parents, who live in China away from the epicentre of the epidemic, are now confined to their homes. “Every day they wake up and they can’t go outside at all. I couldn’t imagine if Canada became like this.”

Even though her decision was voluntary and public health officials would not consider her a risk, Huang said she didn’t want to take any chances.

“I would not want to be the first to spread the virus in Ottawa.”

Wang said his group, which was initially formed with the help of social media, has heard from people as far away as Toronto who are in need of support. Wang was able to find people to deliver groceries to a women in the Greater Toronto Area in need of support.

Two other community support groups have also been formed in other parts of Ottawa based on the original group. Wang said members of the volunteer group meet regularly with representa­tives from Ottawa Public Health and hope to serve as an example of how the community can work together to conquer the novel coronaviru­s.

Etches, of Ottawa Public Health, said there will be much more need for volunteers in the coming weeks.

“When someone is self-isolating to prevent the spread of infection, they are doing their part to protect the rest of their community,” she said. “Let’s find ways to support them, either by picking up groceries, dropping off their mail or assisting in other ways. We’re all in this together.”

Etches added that people should not assume their neighbours have social support.

“People need to have somewhere to turn if they need more support. These are the times to think about who are those individual­s who may be more isolated or disadvanta­ged, and extend help.”

For Huang, who received just such support a few weeks ago, the actions of complete strangers was very moving.

“What they are doing is very touching. I really want to thank them.”

 ?? ERROL MCGIHON ?? Wilson Wang is one of the organizers of an extraordin­ary effort by members of the Chinese community to support people isolating themselves at home. So far the group has supported about 30 people by buying groceries and offering emotional counsellin­g, without face-to-face contact.
ERROL MCGIHON Wilson Wang is one of the organizers of an extraordin­ary effort by members of the Chinese community to support people isolating themselves at home. So far the group has supported about 30 people by buying groceries and offering emotional counsellin­g, without face-to-face contact.

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