Duty-free shops in South China's island province reopen to customers

Two offshore duty-free shops resumed operation Thursday in South China's island province of Hainan amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

One duty-free shop in Haikou, capital of Hainan, runs from 10 am to 6 pm. All the sales staff are required to wear masks and gloves. Customers' temperature will be taken and masks will be checked at each entrance of the store.

The store will control the flow of customers. A one-meter bar has been set up in front of each counter to ensure that customers maintain a safe space when lining up to pay. Each checkout counter and service desk is equipped with hand sanitizer for customers.

The duty-free shop in Sanya, a popular tourist destination in Hainan, also resumed operation Thursday, with business hours from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Among the four duty-free shops in Hainan, the one in Haikou's airport partially opened Monday and another one in the city of Qionghai is still closed.

The State Council gave Hainan permission to run a pilot offshore duty-free program in April 2011, in an effort to make the island a world-class tourist destination by 2020.