Kept apart by coronavirus, courier husband delivers message of love to nurse wife
- How work and duty keep Shaanxi couple apart on their anniversary but a simple sign crosses distance between them
- She’s been caring for patients in isolation with new virus strain since last month; he’s on the streets up to 15 hours a day, delivering essentials to homes
Zhang Jiapeng, 25, came up with the idea after his wife was assigned to a fever clinic in Weinan, in the northeastern province of Shaanxi, last month when the pneumonia-like illness broke out and spread from central Hubei province.
Emergency measures quickly followed, and Shaanxi province – like many authorities – went on high alert on January 25. Since then, people have been encouraged to stay at home and avoid public places, while Zhang’s wife works in the hospital and goes into quarantine after her shift.
Zhang and his colleagues have also been unusually busy – with shops and restaurants closed, people have turned to online shopping services for groceries and other supplies.
As a courier for JD.com, Zhang said he was delivering far more parcels than he typically would during his daily shift, which starts at 7.30am. Mounting orders meant he sometimes has had to work as late as 10pm.
“I haven’t seen my wife for a fortnight,” Zhang said. “All we can do is to send messages, call each other, and sometimes play online games together.”