A recent move allowing people to take pets with them to COVID-19 quarantine venues in east China's Shanghai has been hailed by netizens.

Residents walk with their pet dog on a commercial street in Xiling District of Yichang City, central China's Hubei Province, March 20, 2020. (Photo: Xinhua)

After three local COVID-19 cases were reported Thursday in the city, an old residential area in Huangpu District was classified as a medium-risk zone and residents were transferred to designated hotels for 14-day concentrated quarantine.

A video clip showing a resident carrying a dog in one hand and luggage in the other while boarding a bus bound for a designated quarantine hotel went viral. The thoughtful step by the authorities has garnered praise from netizens.

"When it comes to dogs or cats, pet owners worry the most. It is good for them to be isolated together," wrote an internet user.

Liu Jinwen, who is in charge of a local pet protection platform in Shanghai, said the measure solved the problem of pet owners separating from their pets when the owners went into concentrated quarantine sites.

Last year, some owners turned to their friends or pet care centers asking them to take care of their pets when the owners were placed under concentrated observation. Some netizens living nearby also volunteered to feed the animals left behind.

Shanghai reported three new domestically transmitted cases of COVID-19 and three new imported cases on Saturday, the municipal health commission said Sunday.