With COVID preparedness, China poised for safe, sound Spring Festival holiday

SAFE HOLIDAYS

"The travel rush this year is the first of its kind since the country's COVID-19 prevention and control work entered a new stage, with a notable recovery of passenger flows," said Zhou Min, a Ministry of Transport (MOT) official.

To reduce infection risks, the MOT has stepped up efforts to enforce ventilation and sanitation measures at transport hubs and strengthen the protection and management of relevant personnel.

The ministry is also raising the quality of transport services and its capacity to ensure safer trips, with measures such as promoting contactless ticket purchases and ticket-checking services.

It is estimated that over 60 percent of trips during this year's holiday season will be road trips. To ensure the safety of road travel, the MOT has taken targeted measures to maintain a well-sanitized, sterilized and ventilated environment at highway service stops with high traffic flows, and has set up special zones at eligible stops to treat travelers infected with COVID-19 or feeling ill, Zhou said.

Following China's latest anti-COVID protocols, local culture and tourism authorities are also making efforts to ensure both a sound COVID response and the smooth operations of cultural and tourism sites and activities.

Routine response measures should be implemented fully at relevant venues to minimize virus transmission risks, said Li Xiaoyong, a Ministry of Culture and Tourism official.