Han Ximin

ximhan@126.com

THE first workday after an extended Spring Festival holiday took place yesterday as quarantine measures remain stringent for all Shenzhen  amid ongoing novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) prevention and control efforts.

The holiday was delayed one week due to the virus outbreak.

A woman surnamed Qiu working in Luohu District and living in Futian District prepared a raincoat, shoe covers, gloves, goggles and face masks for her first day back at work, along with a small bottle of chemical disinfectant.

“On my first day of work, I will disinfect things any time I feel necessary on the Metro and at my workplace,” said Qiu.

“Taking self-precautions is also a good way to protect others,” said a woman surnamed Zhang working in a coffee shop. Zhang disinfects the dining area every hour to prevent cross-infection.

Despite the small increase in ridership yesterday, Shenzhen Metro Group advised riders to stagger their commute to reduce the risk of virus spread. Ridership will increase later in the week with the resumption of normal production and operations in the city.

Metro ridership dropped significantly from 6 million trips at ordinary times to 310,000 trips at present due to the NCP outbreak.

To contain the outbreak, the Metro operator disinfects public space equaling 2.8 million square meters at Metro stations and on 1,000 train trips a day in addition to requiring all passengers to wear masks and undergo temperature screenings before entering the paid area of Metro stations.

At Shenzhen North Station, a transport hub integrating high-speed rail and Metro services, the Longgang District center for disease prevention and control administered a two-hour disinfection Saturday to prevent NCP spread as the volume of passengers returning to Shenzhen for work increased.

Some of the city’s bus services gradually resumed yesterday to ensure public transit for the first workday. Bus companies will dispatch more buses in response to the expected surge in ridership. Service times for buses to important transport terminals like the airport, train stations and long-distance bus terminals are adjusted according to the volume of passengers’ times of arrival.

On Sunday, the eve of the first workday, Nanshan District unveiled 12 measures to reduce rent and taxes, offer financial support, and supply materials to help local enterprises overcome economic difficulties caused by the epidemic.