Chinese villages stress virus fight during holidays through classic loudspeaker campaign
Global Times
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(Photo: CCTV)

With the Chinese New Year holidays just around the corner, villages across China have launched a loudspeaker campaign to ensure the anti-COVID-19 message is heard loud and clear -- celebrate holidays in your working city and pay attention to individual protection from the virus.

Loudspeakers blaring out essential knowledge about epidemic control and prevention are being heard all over the nation. Some hang on the tops of tall poles in central village areas, and others are mounted on official patrol vehicles, according to footage posted by Central China Television (CCTV) on Sunday night.

They all come with the classic opening lines: "May I have your attention, fellow villagers."

And they continue like this:

"Do not push your children to get married, to bear babies, or to run back home to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

"If you want to stay healthy, do not travel around.

"You should keep your masks on, and pay attention to the one-meter social distancing rule.

"Parties and gatherings in any forms, banquets in restaurants should be cancelled. Funerals should be streamlined and weddings should be postponed."

Red banners carrying the same message are also seen in the CCTV video.

Villagers from Southwest China's Sichuan Province and Central China's Henan Province interviewed by CCTV said that they learned quite a lot about how to protect themselves from the virus from the loudspeakers, while locals have raised their awareness of epidemic control.

Chinese health authorities released on Wednesday another strict guideline, especially for people returning to their hometowns in rural areas during the upcoming Spring Festival holidays, stipulating tough measures including a 14-day health monitoring period at home after arrival.

Many observers speculated that the highly complex and strict procedures listed in the guideline could dissuade many from returning to rural areas.

However, grave challenges would likely remain in local systems, as problems such as weak nucleic acid testing capabilities and over-zealous management are unlikely to be reversed soon, the Global Times learned.