'River of stars' shines amid HK outbreak

HONG KONG－Reading the popup message on his cellphone, stating that Hong Kong had recorded a daily new high of 140 COVID-19 cases, Joseph Chan was astonished and alarmed. It was the evening of Jan 23, a week before the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Chan remembered the city had only reported 26 cases the previous day, and preparations were in full swing to resume the much-anticipated quarantine-free travel between Hong Kong and the mainland.

"I was instantly awake and all my fatigue was gone," says Chan, who has been fighting the pandemic on and off for more than two years as a leader of two local volunteer groups. They have helped over 1,000 households in need, including many elderly empty nesters.