Businesses reopening in Huanggang

The city of Huanggang, which was severely affected by the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak in Hubei province, has gradually reopened businesses amid marked improvement of the situation.

All businesses - except venues such as cinemas, pubs, fitness centers, bookstores and training facilities that attract large crowds of people - are allowed to resume operations in an orderly manner on the basis that proper prevention and control measures are exercised. Restaurants are also allowed to conduct takeout business.

Yang Jian, deputy general manager of Hubei Kefeng Transmission Equipment Co in Huanggang, said his company resumed business on March 7 and is now in full production.

The private company Yang works for mainly engages in the development, manufacturing and sales of the high precision gearbox and has more than 500 employees.

"All the employees have come back to work after taking nucleic acid tests," Yang said. "They are provided with accommodation and masks to ensure their health and safety."

As the products of Yang's company mainly focus on the domestic market, with the market share of exports accounting for only less than 10 percent of the total, he said the epidemic has a limited impact on his company's revenue.

"Despite the suspension of production from the end of January to early March, we are confident we can meet the goals for production and sales set for this year," Yang said, adding that his company earned 400 million yuan ($56.7 million) in revenue last year and is striving to have 20 percent growth this year.

More than 2,900 confirmed infections were reported in Huanggang, which made it the second hardest-hit city by the novel coronavirus next to Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei. A total of 2,782 patients have been discharged from hospitals after recovering, and 125 have died.

Xia Guangming, the vice-president of Huanggang Central Hospital who was involved in the treatment of the infected patients, said that there are currently no infected patients in the city, but the city still is staying vigilant about the risks of imported cases as businesses reopen.

Farmers have also restarted working in the fields administered by Huanggang.

Zheng Xingping, secretary of the Communist Party of China Lijiawan Village Branch, said his fellow villagers mainly earn their living by planting and selling ornamental seedlings, and as the spring comes, they are busy on the plantations.

"No one in his village, which has a population of more than 600 villagers, got infected with the coronavirus thanks to the village's epidemic prevention and control measures," Zheng said, adding the epidemic will not have a great effect on their livelihood.