China optimizes COVID-19 response in transportation sector

BEIJING, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- China has made a slew of rule adjustments to improve COVID-19 prevention and control measures in the transportation sector.

The country will scrap closed-loop management requirements on freight vehicles, and local authorities should not implement excessive measures to restrict the cross-regional movement of such vehicles, according to a circular released by the State Council on Friday.

Transportation and logistics personnel will be included in the "white lists" of local COVID-19 prevention and control, said the circular. It also called for efforts to better address the basic living needs of truck drivers, couriers, and crew members of ships.

The Ministry of Transport said it recently revised several guidelines to optimize COVID-19 responses concerning road freight, passenger transport, domestic cruises and other areas.

China has announced a new set of measures to optimize its epidemic control, ranging from proposing home quarantine for mild and asymptomatic cases to reducing nucleic acid tests to make it easier for people to travel and enter public venues.

The measures were introduced based on the latest epidemic situation and mutation of the virus to contain the epidemic in a more science-based and targeted manner.