A Spring Airlines plane at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport in December 2019 File Photo: cnsphoto

China on Monday issued strict quarantine measures for international cargo flight crews, which include restricting their movements to avoid contact with others and stopping COVID-19 tests, as part of the country's actions to thwart new cases from entering the country.

Crew members of international cargo flights will be quarantined at designated areas before they're allowed to depart and would be prohibited from entering the country, according to a guideline from the Ministry of Transport and other government agencies. Crew members who continue with domestic services need to test negative for COVID-19.   

The move comes as China increases its anti-epidemic measures to safeguard against a second outbreak while there are more cargo flights from foreign countries transporting medical supplies. 

China on Monday reported 98 new imported cases of COVID-19, the biggest single-day spike in imported cases, highlighting the growing risk of a much-feared second outbreak. In comparison, there were only 10 new local cases reported for Sunday. 

To cope with the new risks, China has temporarily banned foreign nationals from entering the country. However, international air cargo crews are permitted entry so they can transport essential medical supplies to countries in need.  

There are 1,690 cargo flights scheduled for this week, an increase of 66.7 percent prior to the pandemic, Jin Junhao, a senior official with the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said during a press briefing on Monday. Previously, China had approved 1,919 emergency cargo flights in March and 655 so far in April, up 435 percent, and 612 percent, respectively.

The increase in flights also means more pilots and crew members, which could increase the risks of spreading the virus. Last week, an Air France cargo pilot tested positive for COVID-19 in Shanghai while picking up medical supplies for France.