Epidemic prevention measures have been intensified at venues with crowded people across the country, as more people are about to resume work after a prolonged holiday.
As of Monday, more than 7,000 enterprises in China's high-tech hub Zhongguancun had resumed work, and about 2,100 enterprises had restarted operation in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area.
In Shanghai, the latest official survey showed that over 80 percent of software and information service enterprises in the city have returned to work, and more than 70 percent of their employees have chosen to work from home.
By Xinhua writers Ma Yujie, Ma Xiaoran
BEIJING, Feb. 11 -- Monday marks the first working day for the majority of businesses in China, which has been plagued by the novel coronavirus outbreak and extended the Spring Festival holiday -- originally scheduled to end on Jan. 30 -- to control the spread of the virus.
"I left home more than 10 days in advance to get back to work in time," said Wu Shaosong, a safety inspector at a plant under Galanz Group, a leading household electrical appliances manufacturer headquartered in Shunde, south China's Guangdong Province.
Before heading back, Wu and his colleagues had been trained in epidemic prevention through WeChat to help them better protect themselves at work.
Wu left his hometown in the neighboring Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and drove back to Shunde on Jan. 29, almost two weeks before the plant resumed production.
"I immediately contacted the local community committee and began self-quarantine after I got back," said Wu.
On Feb. 10, about 70 percent of the group's over 5,000 Shunde-based employees had returned to work. The company requires regular disinfection at the plant and all employees to wear masks and take their body temperature every four hours.
"Workers at the production lines must have their temperature taken every two hours," said Wu. The company also temporarily closed its canteen and prepared boxed meals instead.
Staff members work at a workshop of Skyworth in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)
In a circular released over the weekend, the State Council, or China's cabinet, urged efforts to protect workers from getting infected while resuming production as soon as possible.
Despite risks of further infection, ensuring nationwide work resumption is a crucial part of China's efforts against the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak, Cong Liang, secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said at a press conference Tuesday.
