Editor's note: Zhejiang province held its 32nd news conference on epidemic control on March 4, in which seven ordinary people were invited to share their experiences fighting the epidemic. Despite being ordinary everyday people, they have made extraordinary contributions to the province's fight against the disease.

Zhu Liping is the deputy general manager of Chaomei Rihua, a face mask company in Jiande, a county-level city in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. He took charge of the delivery of face masks during the COVID-19 epidemic.

The company has been developing, producing and selling respirators since 1996 and was designated by the National Development and Reform Commission to produce medical-use face masks for Xiaotangshan Hospital in Beijing during the SARS outbreak in 2003.

According to Zhu, at the urgent call of the provincial government, the company called back nearly all employees on Jan 21 to resume work and the daily output increased from 20,000 then to 400,000 face masks by mid-March.

Zhu said the company met many difficulties during the period in raw materials supplies, packaging and labor. 

"We bought our raw materials mainly from Jiangsu province, but road closures due to the epidemic led to transport inconvenience. Fortunately, the Economy and Information Technology Department of Zhejiang coordinated with relevant authorities in Jiangsu and helped our vehicles travel smoothly between the two provinces," said Zhu.

"Packaging is also a problem as our wrapper suppliers were closed for the Spring Festival. We had no choice but to wrap the masks with transparent membrane under the guidance of the market regulator. We are also short of labor due to the increased capacity. Thanks to the government's help, many cadres were mobilized to join our production line and have been working with us for nearly a month.”

To ensure safety, Zhu said the company closed itself off to avoid workers having contact with the outside, with the government helping the workers with accommodation and essential life supplies.

"With the support of the government, I believe we will overcome all difficulties and gain a victory against the epidemic," said Zhu.

Zhu said he was also moved by the dedication of the workers, including a technician who stuck to work despite an injured left hand, a workshop director who walked nearly 50,000 steps every day to coordinate work, and a logistics worker who was exhausted one night but was back on duty the next day.

"I want to spend more time with my family when the epidemic is over," said Zhu, explaining that he and his wife have been busy working since the outbreak and have had no time to visit parents or look after their son, a junior high school student.

"I want to tell my son that 'dad and mom have done what we think we should do, and we know that the epidemic also affected your life and study,'"Zhu said. "'Don't be afraid, we believe you will also overcome your difficulties and make it to your ideal high school.'"