Ruili, a city neighboring Myanmar, remains vigilant to fend off COVID-19 cases

Two epidemic prevention workers patrol the Ruili River by boat on Sunday. (WU XIAOHUI / CHINA DAILY)

Situated in the southwestern corner of the southwestern province of Yunnan, the city of Ruili in Dehong Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture borders Myanmar on three sides, sharing a 170-kilometer frontier with the Southeast Asian nation.

As a result of imported cases of COVID-19, it has suffered four domestic outbreaks since September last year.

To deal with the pressure of epidemic prevention and control, Ruili has set up 631 checkpoints and has put 8,821 people in charge of watching the border in shifts 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Workers ride a truck on the way to a border fencing construction site in Ruili, Yunnan province, on Sunday. (WU XIAOHUI / CHINA DAILY)

In March, 31-year-old veteran Zhao Xingpan was transferred from the province's Lianghe county to the Huonong Ferry checkpoint in Ruili, where he now works with 38 others to prevent people from entering illegally by crossing the Ruili River.

Zhao said that on a single day in March, 10 people tried to cross the river. He and his colleagues caught the smugglers and handed them over to local police.

Many governmental departments and local businesses are also participating in epidemic prevention work and have assigned employees to the checkpoints. Among them is Zhao Lin.

She and her colleagues at the checkpoint endured scorching temperatures, humidity and mosquito bites in the summer and cold nights last winter.

Termites flutter around a light at a checkpoint along the border between Ruili and Myanmar on Saturday evening. (WU XIAOHUI / CHINA DAILY)

An epidemic prevention worker patrols the Ruili River on Sunday morning. (WU XIAOHUI / CHINA DAILY)

Two workers make a fire to warm themselves at a checkpoint on Saturday evening. (WU XIAOHUI / CHINA DAILY)

An epidemic prevention worker is on duty at a checkpoint on Saturday evening. (WU XIAOHUI / CHINA DAILY)

Workers have their supper at a checkpoint on Saturday evening. (WU XIAOHUI / CHINA DAILY)

A worker pilots a patrol boat on the Ruili River. (WU XIAOHUI / CHINA DAILY)