Shanghai urges flexible hours as work officially resumes Monday

Shanghai municipality on Sunday called on corporations and public institutions to implement flexible office hours to help staff members avoid busy transportation dates and peak commuting hours, before the city officially resumes work on Monday.

A large number of people are expected to arrive in town through the weekend, and this is part of the city's efforts to contain the spread of the novel corona pneumonia epidemic.

The municipality released the notification at the daily press conference on the NCP epidemic. The municipal news spokesman Xu Wei said that companies and institutions should "make flexible arrangements for staff members returning to Shanghai, while those from regions heavily affected by the NCP outbreak should further delay their travel plans."

Xu also called on different industries to launch flexible office hours and staggering shifts. The subway and other public transportation should increase their capacity in rush hours while increasing the frequency for ventilation and air change.

Zhang Dezhi, deputy head of the municipal federation of trade unions, said "corporations should do their best to enable their employers have flexible working hours or work from home", so that "they could accomplish their work and take care of their children" as school is not yet open.

Shanghai announced one more confirmed case of NCP, and three recovery cases by noon on Sunday. The city has reported altogether 293 confirmed cases of NCP, eliminating 1,002 suspected cases. According to Zheng Jin, the spokesperson for the Shanghai municipal health commission, 228 patients are now in stable condition, 10 cases in critical condition, and 10 in severe condition. Altogether 44 people have recovered and been released from the hospital and one died from the disease.