Authorities have been encouraging couriers to return to work to help meet the delivery needs of epidemic prevention materials and living necessities, Yu Hongwei, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Postal Administration, said at a municipal press briefing on Thursday.

According to Yu, there are presently about 10,000 couriers transporting household necessities and providing express delivery services in Shanghai, up from 7,706 on April 8.

Around 1,300 vehicles transporting household necessities are on the road, transporting an average of 6,000 metric tons of supplies daily, he added.

Yu said that all workers in the delivery sector are subjected to closed-loop management and centralized accommodation. They are also required to maintain personal hygiene and undergo nucleic acid and antigen testing regularly.