Preparing for a human tidal wave
SHANGHAI’S airports, railway stations and highways are preparing for the annual influx of people returning after the extended Spring Festival holiday.
Pudong and Hongqiao airports will receive huge numbers of passengers and the railway peak is expected between Saturday and Monday, Yang Xiaoxi, vice director of the Shanghai transport commission, said yesterday.
Another peak, for returning students, is expected on February 15.
All passengers on domestic flights to Shanghai must register through a mobile phone app from yesterday to curb the spread of coronavirus outbreak.
It is part of new registration measures covering all who enter Shanghai via road, rail or air, including returning residents.
“Passengers are required to register before takeoff or during the flight,” Zhou Junlong, vice president of Shanghai Airport Authority told reporters yesterday.
Passengers should scan a QR code, fill in their name, ID card number or passport number, mobile phone number, home address, and state whether they were traveling from Hubei Province. The form is available only in Chinese. An English version will be available soon.
Strict disinfection measures cover railways, fights, the Metro, buses, taxis, expressway service zones and ferries.
The Metro, buses and ferries on the Huangpu River will return to normal operations next Monday, Yang said.
The Metro Line 9 is fully operational after a major renovation. Line 2 will return to normal today.
Railway stations have checked the temperatures of over 860,000 passengers since January 24, and 134 passengers with high temperature were screened out, said Zhao Lijian, deputy general manager with China Railway’s Shanghai bureau.
Thermal detectors have been installed at railway stations.
All trains are disinfected at least once a day and ventilation has been improved.
The railway authority has also refunded about 12.4 million tickets due to the outbreak, Zhao added.
Shanghai’s two airports have begun checking the temperatures of all arrivals.
Passengers with high temperatures are sent to designated medical facilities.
Medical, security and service staff have been issued with masks, gloves and hand sanitizer. The cargo terminal at the Pudong airport has also opened faster channels to speed the import of virus prevention materials.