City govt stands by business and asks firms to help in virus fight

Li Qian and Ding Yining

SHANGHAI’S government will support businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak, according to a letter sent to all the city’s enterprises yesterday.

The city is now in a critical period of epidemic prevention and control.

And the situation will remain severe during the upcoming peak Spring Festival passenger flow as people return to work.

To ensure normal business, the city government will release several policies to support business development and relieve the burden on companies, the letter says.

“Shanghai is a fertile ground for innovation and startups, and a cradle for enterprises to grow,” the letter says, “Winter will finally go and spring will certainly come.”

“We firmly believe that we can win the arduous battle against the virus under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee and with the joint efforts by medical workers, frontline workers, companies and everyone in the city.”

Meanwhile, the Shanghai government has also urged companies to help fight the coronavirus epidemic.

“We call for all businesses and the city’s residents to overcome difficulties together and to take firm action to fight the epidemic,” the letter says.

The city has ordered no company, except essential services such as public utilities or financial services, should resume work before Monday.

Contingency plans

Employers who need staff “for specific reasons” should report the whereabouts of their employees from out of town to city authorities.

Enterprises should have contingency plans before resuming work and coordinate with employees so they can return in separate shifts to avoid mass gatherings.

Yin Xin, a director from the Shanghai Information Office, told a press conference that employers are being encouraged to have employees return to Shanghai and resume work in batches.

Employees who have difficulties at home can negotiate with employers to use annual leave, she said.

The letter also suggests employers allow employees to stagger their returns to Shanghai, and adopt flexible working hours, remote working or working at home.

Companies should also help disease control authorities ensure that registration is carried out properly for staff who return to Shanghai from other parts of the country.

All work should return to normal under strict and complete preventative measures.

Special attention should be paid to places such as canteens, elevators and conference rooms to ensure ventilation and sterilization.

Large scale meetings or events are banned.

All companies should work to maintain smooth operations and ensure the supply and distribution of medical materials, food and vegetables.

Many efforts have been put in place to fight the epidemic and companies have shouldered social responsibilities to stand along with local residents.

Many local companies have proactively responded to government calls to delay their resumption of work.

Some companies resumed work during the extended Spring Holiday holiday to produce protective gear, while some took every effort to import urgently needed products.

Restaurants, hotels, travel agencies, transport companies and wholesale markets overcame difficulties to give refunds.

Supermarkets, shopping malls and express delivery companies worked to ensure basic daily supplies.

Some businesses struggled to comply with the city government’s holiday extension decision and still pay their employees.

“We express sincere gratitude to local employers and employees,” the letter says.