Photo:Yang Hui/GT

Factories and companies in China should resume operations as soon as possible, while making sure there are enough epidemic prevention measures, an expert said Friday.

Equal importance should be attached to fighting the coronavirus and economic growth at this time, said Wang Wen, executive dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China. 

Strict measures are necessary to prevent and control the virus, but some regions focus only on preventing the epidemic while neglecting overall economic development, resulting in harm to some industries, according to Wang.

The comment came after some factories in certain provinces that saw a less serious impact from the coronavirus epidemic were asked to delay reopening as part of efforts to contain the virus.

According to local governments, factories and companies in most provinces - except the epicenter Central China's Hubei Province - are scheduled to resume work on Monday.

Despite pressure to contain the spread of the coronavirus, many local governments are stepping up efforts for companies to resume operations. East China's Fujian Province on Friday launched 24 measures to assist enterprises to resume production, including lowering financing and operating costs and offering help to accelerate efficiency.

By Wednesday, a total of 275 enterprises in Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong Province, had applied to resume production, local media Shandong Network Radio-Television Station reported. It said 154 of these companies have received permission and 166,000 people had returned to work.

To encourage the return of the migrant workers to cities, the Ministry of Transport said Friday that chartered buses organized by local governments to bring them back to work will be exempted from expressway tolls and will be given convenient passage.

Companies that plan to start operations should make full preparations, like body temperature tests, wearing masks and banning meetings, an anonymous respiratory expert told the Global Times.

He predicted that large factories may just partially start next week, with some even postponing until February 20, as the spread of the coronavirus may be better controlled after a two-week latent period.