China steps up COVID-19 prevention measures for safe flights

BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- China has taken more rigorous measures to ensure safe plane trips for travelers while stemming the spread of COVID-19, said the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on Monday.

The CAAC identified two groups of airport staff members, one as high-risk and the other under close monitoring, based on their risk levels of spreading COVID-19. They are required to take nucleic acid tests daily, and the rest of the staff every other day, Kong Fanwei, an official with the CAAC, told a press conference.

The administration will also ensure the passengers are kept apart at safe distances and avoid crowding at the airport and on planes, Kong said.

It will also strengthen closed-loop management to separate operations of domestic flights from international ones, and improve COVID-19 testing mechanisms at airports.

The country has suspended 768 international flights so far this year to contain the transmission of the virus, Kong said.