A total of 10 buses are chartered from Qidong to retrieve employees who are not able to return to work due to travel restrictions related to the virus outbreak. [Photo/WeChat account: qdrmt0513]

Qidong, a county-level city in Nantong, Jiangsu province, chartered 10 buses on Feb 22 to retrieve employees who have not been able to return to work due to travel restrictions related to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

"When dealing with work resumption processes, we learned that many employees can't return to work due to travel restrictions," said Yang Haiyan, director of Qidong's bureau of human resources and social security. "Sending chartered buses to pick up employees in faraway regions lowers the risk of infection."

Officials first collected information about such employees from local enterprises in urgent need of workers and carefully examined their situation. Routes were arranged after contacting the Qidong branch of Nantong Automobile Transportation Group.

According to Jiang Weijie, general manager of the group, 25 experienced drivers and 10 new buses in mint condition were selected to carry out the task. Each bus is staffed with two or three drivers, who will drive in shifts.

The 10 buses will retrieve employees from places with fewer confirmed cases, such as Henan, Shandong, and Shaanxi provinces. They are expected to transport 193 workers back to Qidong.

A supply of food, thermometers, disinfectants, and face masks has been placed in each bus, and isolation areas have also been set up in case of emergency. Anybody who develops a fever while on the bus will be isolated immediately and sent to a nearby hospital.