Residents in the Chinese city of Wuhan say volunteers have been crucial to keeping Wuhan supplied and running after it became the epicentre of China’s outbreak, especially in the epidemic’s chaotic early days from late January to early February. Back then, surging cases strained government and medical services in the city of 11 million to the breaking point.

With public transit shut down and taxis and ride-hailing operations suspended, thousands of volunteers have shuttled medical staff, delivered supplies and checked in on vulnerable residents.

They have kept going throughout the outbreak, though some of the pressure has been alleviated in recent weeks as the city experiences a sharp fall in locally transmitted cases, giving way to the restart of services such as public transport.

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