In the face of the quick spread of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the world, China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) has attached great importance to infection prevention in its overseas branches and project construction sites, and has made full deployment of the fight against the pandemic. Recently, it has dispatched teams to Egypt and Algeria, with the aim of guiding the company's overseas efforts on COVID-19 prevention and control, as well as protecting the overseas employees from health risks.

As the world's largest investment and construction group, CSCEC currently has operations in 75 overseas countries. Following closely on the latest development of COVID-19 in these countries and evaluating the conditions of its overseas subsidiaries, the company decided to send the teams to countries and regions with large scale operations and big numbers of personnel.

Two teams sent overseas

As many countries upgraded the prevention and control measures, closed borders, and suspended flights, CSCEC started a race against time to set up its teams. CSCEC employees in China have responded proactively to the recruitment for the teams and shown determination to help their overseas colleagues fight the coronavirus at this critical time.

CSCEC's team to Egypt, comprising 10 people, was formed in a single day and equipped with adequate COVID-19 prevention and medical supplies. On the evening of Mar. 17, they boarded the last operating flight from Beijing to Egypt, and departed for Cairo, the Egyptian capital.

In regard to the traffic and visa restrictions adopted by the Algerian government for the purpose of COVID-19 prevention and control, the Chinese Embassy in Algeria has provided much assistance to CSCEC's 12-person team to Algeria. The embassy helped with the handling of the visa procedures as well as coordinating an Air Algerie charter flight to pick up the team in China. The team left Beijing on the morning of Mar. 27 and headed to Algiers, the capital of Algeria.

The plane also carried a few metric tons of protective and medical supplies, including ventilators, medicines, masks, and protective clothing that were urgently needed in Algeria. Some of the supplies on board were donated by the Chinese government to the Algerian government.

The arrival of the team was highly appreciated by the Algerian government, who also gave them much assistance. Before the departure, Algerian Ambassador to China Ahcène Boukhelfa went to where the team had been assembled to see them off. He spoke highly of the China-Algeria friendship, and greatly commended CSCEC's outstanding contributions to the economic and social development in Algeria over the last 40 years. He said he believes that by sending the team to help its Algerian operations prevent COVID-19, CSCEC has further deepened the friendship between the two countries and once again set an example of the China-Algeria bilateral cooperation.

Getting to work without delay

The CSCEC teams have maintained close liaison with the Chinese embassies in their respective countries, and have undertaken various activities to prevent COVID-19. In the spirit of taking practical and effective measures to guarantee results, the teams also contributed to the global combat against the COVID-19 pandemic.

At noon on Mar. 18 local time, the 10-person team safely landed in Cairo, and was warmly received by Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang. Liao expressed his appreciation and gratitude to CSCEC for attaching great importance to the COVID-19 prevention work of its operations in Egypt, and acting decisively to send the team. The ambassador said that the presence of the team in Egypt has not only fully reflected the company's care for its employees, but also brought encouragement to the Chinese Embassy in Egypt and other Chinese-funded enterprises in the fight against the pandemic.

Getting to work without delay, the team quickly determined a plan that prioritizes prevention and control while focusing on early diagnosis and treatment. To better manage the health records of project managers and construction workers, the team introduced successful practices in China by asking everyone to scan a QR code and fill in a personal health archive for monitoring purpose. All employees have started taking body temperatures twice a day, while medical analysis has been conducted on the archived data collected daily. In addition, the medical staff in the task force swiftly came up with videos to demonstrate how to correctly wash hands and use face masks. Embedded with Arabic subtitles and auto-replayed on the screens at all construction sites, the videos have been popular among both the Algerian and Chinese employees. The team also formulated specific plans for implementing the next phase of on-site COVID-19 prevention: publicizing science-based information, organizing professional training sessions, setting up clinics, perfecting disinfection measures, and purchasing medical supplies and equipment.

CSCEC's team to Algeria arrived in Algiers on the afternoon of Mar. 27 local time. The medical staff of the team had participated in nursing CSCEC workers back from Changsha after the construction of the Wuhan emergency hospitals, Huoshenshan and Leishenshan. Having been working on the frontlines since the Chinese New Year, they have brought precious experience in fighting COVID-19. In view of the limited medical support in Algeria, the medical staff not only brought with them important medical supplies, but also provided medical services to both Chinese and Algerians employees of CSCEC Algeria. Passing on China's experience in containing the virus, the team will be guiding the COVID-19 prevention efforts on every CSCEC construction site in Algeria, and supporting the Algerian government and its people.