Ruili Photo: VCG

China-Myanmar border city Ruili issued a subsidy of 68.7 million yuan ($10 million) to relieve pressure of residents who had difficulties in 2021 as the city was struggling with an epidemic rebound, Ruili mayor said on Tuesday at a time when the city has partially lifted restrictions after months of strict measures.

The city reported zero deaths and no COVID-19 infections from the city were transmitted to other regions of the country. 

In addition to the subsidy, Ruili also provided more than 43,000 items of living resources such as rice and noodles and more than 3 million yuan of consumption coupons and some 70,000 anti-epidemic resources.

On the basis of sticking to strict epidemic measures, at least seven agricultural markets and six supermarkets, 24 enterprises in industrial park resumed businesses and 5200 students in eight schools returned to schools, according to Ruili mayor Shang Labin.

Local residents in villages and communities that reported zero positive COVID-19 cases and close contacts in the previous 14 days will be able to travel around within the city starting from Tuesday.

More residents are leaving the city as the local government has simplified procedures of leaving the city and arranged personnel to process applications day and night. 

Accommodation and nucleic acid test fees for people in designated quarantine places have been exempted. For people who undergo quarantine in hotels their meal and nucleic acid test fees were also exempted. Total exemption fees reached about 2.1 million yuan, according to Shang. 

Visiting national epidemic response group calls on the city to accelerate the establishment of a new epidemic prevention and control model for land ports. Recently Liang Wannian, head of the experts' panel on COVID-19 response of the National Health Commission, visited the city to investigate the city's work on epidemic prevention and control.