Zhang Xinyu, a member of the Seventh Legislative Council of Hong Kong, buys masks for residents at a convenience store in Tin Shui Wai in March. (CHINA DAILY)

In recent months he has eaten meals alone, slept in a room separate from other family members, refrained from playing with his kids, and has been unable to kiss them, as other loving fathers do when with their children.

Despite all this, Zhang Xinyu, a member of Hong Kong's Seventh Legislative Council, continues traversing around 100 kilometers a day across the city, delivering items to residents' doorsteps to help them fight the COVID-19 battle.

Weaving around residential buildings, floor by floor, door by door, during this unforgiving wave of the pandemic comes with a high risk. If he becomes infected, his three kids and wife will become very vulnerable, which is the last thing Zhang wants. "But my wife, as well as my mom, are very supportive. They know what I'm doing is dictated by morality and responsibility as a member of the Legislative Council. I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do," Zhang said.

Since late February, Zhang and other social workers have distributed nearly 400 health kits and other items to residents, each containing five rapid-results antigen test kits, 20 masks, traditional Chinese medicine compounds and a pulse oximeter－which measures blood oxygen levels

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Since late February, Zhang and other social workers have distributed nearly 400 health kits and other items to residents in Sheung Shui, Fanling and Tin Shui Wai, each containing five rapid-results antigen test kits, 20 masks, traditional Chinese medicine compounds and a pulse oximeter－which measures blood oxygen levels.

"Gripes were commonplace from the communities. People felt helpless when they self-tested positive. They couldn't access medical services, get through to hotlines and be properly isolated," Zhang recalled. "There was a striking imbalance between the sick's desperate need and the government's ability to help. I felt compelled to help close the gap."

The communities that he has been serving were underprivileged even before the pandemic. New Territories North was ranked as one of the four poorest districts in the "Hong Kong Poverty Situation Report 2020", while Tin Shui Wai has the highest density of public housing in Yuen Long. For one of the most disenfranchised communities, fighting the pandemic is all the more challenging: cramped living spaces often lead to cross infection, low household incomes may lead to nutrient deficiency and higher unemployment exacerbates the situation.

To minimize close contact with the residents, Zhang, wearing full protective gear, hangs the health kits on their doors, and then rings the doorbell to remind them to retrieve the bags. Sometimes, Zhang and some residents exchange banter through the iron bars on the door. "If there's a chance, I'd never forget to say 'san tai gin hong' (good health) to them." At this fraught moment, people wish nothing more than that. And the quick banter becomes the humblest but the most effective form of therapy.

Residents' flashes of smiles on their faces, words of gratitude and sighs of relief when they reach for their health kits have sustained Zhang's motivation to carry on.

"A man who is a father of four once called me. He got the coronavirus first, followed by the kids and the grandparents. He asked if we could buy them masks as they had to wear them at home," Zhang said. As a father himself, Zhang said he could viscerally relate to the deep guilt that engulfed the man. "He beat himself up for failing to insulate his family from danger. He also feels indebted for bothering me to help out."

A resident asked me to give her health kits to needier neighbors as she said she had sufficient stocks," Zhang said. "Her gesture let me see how tight knit our communities are. People's altruism, empathy and mutual understanding empower me to stick by my work.

Zhang Xinyu, HK lawmaker

When projecting the father's remorse on himself, Zhang is gripped by strong guilt and inadequacy. "The onus is on me to create a safe and easy living environment for the communities. It's my fault that I leave them distressed and exposed to danger," Zhang said.

"A resident asked me to give her health kits to needier neighbors as she said she had sufficient stocks," Zhang said. "Her gesture let me see how tight knit our communities are. People's altruism, empathy and mutual understanding empower me to stick by my work."

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Since the whole city couldn't wrap its head around what's happening and how to contain the virus, Zhang has become somewhat neurotic about being infected. His chance of getting the virus is higher than the average resident, who stays at home and is cut off from the world. "An occasional sore throat, poor sleep, runny nose... make me nervous."

He lives with unease, particularly when he volunteered at testing centers and rapid testing was unavailable. "There was a time I suspected I got the virus. I went to test without my wife's knowledge. I didn't tell her until the negative result came out," Zhang said with a laugh.

He said he might not have gone this far were it not for his wife's unconditional encouragement. "She cooks my favorite and nutritious dishes to get me restored from burnout. She brews herbal teas to boost my immunity," Zhang said.

"Well, arguments also happen between us. I know we are both stressed out. So we don't take it personally."

Apart from the community-level social work, Zhang made suggestions on policies to streamline the pandemic control measures so as to find out root causes of the current dire situation and address them. He said he wants the residents' grievances to be heard.