Transport official expressly forbids arbitrary logistical controls

Stringent or excessive epidemic control measures have to be corrected to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on economic and social development and ensure smooth transport and logistics, an official from the Ministry of Transport said at a news conference on Saturday.

"Simply shutting down transport infrastructure facility or restraining transport service for epidemic control is prohibited," said Han Jinghua, deputy director of the transport department of the ministry.

He also noted imposing excessive measures on truck drivers, such as prohibiting trucking services in "lockdown" areas or stopping truckers for waiting for nucleic acid test results, is also banned.

Han said the ministry will enhance inspection to ensure correcting such behaviors to end the gridlock in logistics and transport networks.

Warnings will be issued if complaints are filed repeatedly and unable to be solved, he said.

Truckers can call a 24-hour hotline to report problems. All calls will be answered and addressed accordingly, Han said.

China issued updated epidemic control measures on Friday, including reducing the COVID-19 quarantine time for incoming international travels, no longer tracing secondary close contracts of confirmed cases and canceling circuit breakers for inbound flights.