"Green pass" helps secure production amid epidemic control

YINCHUAN, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Yang Tao, a leek farmer from northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, breathed a sigh of relief as he watched bundles of leeks being loaded and transported away.

Although the region was hit by the COVID-19 resurgence, Yang, 34, from Xingwang Village in the regional capital Yinchuan, not only sold the first batch of leeks from his own five greenhouses but also helped other villagers with the sale of leeks.

It is a "green pass" that has ensured the timely delivery of the farm produce.

"With the green pass and a negative nucleic acid test result within 48 hours, I have no trouble transporting the leeks," Yang said, adding that the vegetable is sold at 6 yuan (about 94 U.S. cents) per kg, almost the same as last year.

In mid-October, just when leeks were about to hit the market, a fresh resurgence of COVID-19 befell Ningxia. As of Saturday, a total of 45 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases have been reported in the region, mainly in the cities of Yinchuan and Wuzhong.

To curb the spread of the virus, local authorities adopted strict measures including traffic control, making it initially difficult for fresh leeks to reach the market.

"Only small vendors nearby could come to purchase, so the leek price once dropped drastically," Yang recalled. He said that the price of the first batch of leeks is usually the highest, but this year, due to the resurgence of COVID-19, the vegetables were sold at only 4 yuan per kg.

After learning about the hardships of the villagers, Wang Wenguo, a village cadre from Xingwang, informed the higher authorities and helped the villagers apply for green passes for vegetable transportation. Yang is among the first group of farmers to obtain the green pass.

To balance epidemic prevention and production, authorities in Ningxia not only strove to address issues involving production and sales of agricultural products but also did everything possible to help companies solve problems of worker and material transportation.

In the Jinji industrial park located in the city of Wuzhong, home to 138 enterprises and 22,000 workers, the management committee has helped enterprises apply for about 5,000 passes for workers in key positions as well as passes for vehicles to ensure normal industrial production and operation.

"The outbreak affected the project to some extent, but fortunately, most of the construction workers were living on site, and after three rounds of nucleic acid testing and a series of anti-epidemic measures, construction works resumed with closed-off management," said Lian Junhong, general manager of a food additive company under construction in the industrial park.

The company, with a planned investment of 1.06 billion yuan, is affiliated with the Shanghai-based carrageenan and konjac gum manufacturer BLG.

Ma Xuefeng, director of the management committee, said that logistics have cropped up as the biggest problem for corporations during the epidemic, and the green passes have ensured companies get what they need for production.

Meanwhile, nucleic acid testing sites have been set up in the park for around-the-clock testing.

"Drivers and workers who need to commute can undergo testing and get results in time without going to the hospital," said Ma.

As per the epidemic control requirement, Yang takes nucleic acid testing every two to three days.

"It is very convenient. The tests are necessary for my own health as well as that of others. I should act responsibly," said Yang.