Some Hubei businesses asked to resume operations

Local authorities asked businesses in Central China's Hubei province, the center of the novel coronavirus outbreak, to resume operations in an orderly manner while still maintaining tough restrictions on residents leaving the province.

According to a notice issued by the provincial government on Wednesday, local authorities are ordered to take region-specific approaches when advancing resumption of work and production in light of local health risks.

In Wuhan, the epicenter, companies that involve epidemic prevention and control, public service, daily necessities and agricultural production are allowed to resume operation, as well as companies with significant influence on the industrial or supply chain nationwide or worldwide.

In other high-risk regions, more businesses are able to resume operations, including the finance and insurance industry, port and freight station, and key industrial chain-supporting enterprises.

Regions with relatively low risks should implement a negative list mechanism to push forward work resumption for companies off the list while still banning crowded or closed places from operation, which include theaters, game rooms, bookstores, beauty salons, gyms, training institutions and catering businesses.

Companies are required to make epidemic prevention and control work plans and emergency response plans and gain approval from local county-level epidemic control headquarters before resumption, according to the notice.

Meanwhile, local authorities are urged to continue strict control on departing Hubei, it said, adding that people in low and medium-risk regions can travel within the province with their health certificate, with their inter-provincial flights, trains, buses, ferries and public transportation back in operation gradually.

Residents in Wuhan, as well as other high-risk regions, are allowed to travel with their health certificate by taking non-stop and chartered transportation service. Other transportation services should still be suspended for the time being.

Schools are still requested to postpone the start of the new semester, the notice said.