As the New Year and Spring Festival holidays approach, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has released some health tips to help ensure public health and safety amid holiday joy.

1. COVID-19 precaution tips

First of all, it is important to avoid unnecessary cross-border travel. Travel is restricted for people in medium- and high-risk COVID-19 areas. People in low-risk areas should not go to medium and high-risk zones. Peak travel times should be avoided when travelling between low-risk areas.

The COVID-19 risk level in regions across China can be ascertained in real time in the appropriate column of the State Council website (http://bmfw.www.gov.cn/yqfxdjcx/risk.html), the State Council mobile app and the WeChat applet.

It is recommended that the elderly and those with underlying diseases avoid going out during holidays.

Prepare masks, hand-washing disinfectant, disinfection wipes and other items in advance.

Wear masks through your entire time on airplanes, trains and other means of transportation and abide by other epidemic prevention rules as well. Keep the tickets for inquiries.

Remember to comply with the guidelines of COVID-19 prevention and control at the destination during the trip.  

Wear a mask when in contact with others and keep social distance. Wash your hands frequently. Minimize crowd gathering activities and control the number of people dining together.

If symptoms such as headache, fatigue, loss of sense of smell and taste, dry cough or fever arise during the trip, go to the nearest medical institution immediately and cancel or suspend the travel arrangements.

After returning from travel, a 14-day-self-monitoring period must be done.

These measures can also prevent common respiratory diseases in winter and spring such as influenza. If you feel unwell, seek medical advice promptly and inform the doctor of your travel history.

2. Avian influenza precaution tips

Try to avoid contact with live poultry or live poultry markets. Do not buy live poultry. It is recommended to choose chilled poultry that has been slaughtered and processed in a centralized manner to reduce the chance of exposure to avian influenza.

3. Precaution tips for food poisoning and norovirus infection

During holidays, gatherings for dinner should be reduced as much as possible. Heavily attended events should not be held to prevent norovirus-related diseases and food poisoning. Do not eat food that is not thoroughly cooked, unpasteurized milk, unpeeled fruits or raw vegetables. Do not drink unboiled water.

4. Precaution tips for carbon monoxide poisoning

Good ventilation indoors should be maintained when using coal-fired heating facilities, gas stoves and small-scaled generators powered by oil or gas.