The city of Wuhan has been in lockdown now for weeks. But on the empty streets of the city, what you’ll hear are motorcycles and scooters of delivery workers zipping through the silence.
To avoid transmission of the virus, people have been told to stay at home and limit time outdoors. As a result, when they need food or other necessities, many of them turn to delivery workers, who put themselves at risk of exposure to the virus by interacting with dozens of customers, some of whom are sick, and handling multiple packages a day.
The brave couriers deliver fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as instant noodles and some treats such as waffles, to the people of the city. What’s more, hospitals also depend on these couriers to bring medical supplies.
Delivery companies are struggling to keep up. In a press conference in February, the department of commerce director of Hubei province, Qin Jun, said that in a single day, e-commerce companies received 22,000 orders in the province and delivered 1,337 tons of necessities. JD Logistics, one of the country's largest courier companies, says they are looking to hire 20,000 warehouse workers, couriers and drivers to help with deliveries during the outbreak. JD hires men and women, and a recent ad said it pays between $721 to $1,400 a month.
More details about this over at NPR.
(Image Credit: Stringer/for NPR)