GUANGZHOU — South China's manufacturing heartland Guangdong province has seen 91.2 percent of firms resume operation as of March 2, authorities said March 3.

The Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong said the percentage was up 45.7 percentage points from the Feb 17 figure as work resumption picked up steam.

The province, a major magnet for migrant workers from other provinces, also saw the return of 6.94 million non-local workers, the department said, citing a survey that covers 15,000 firms.

Millions of Chinese workers return to their hometowns for the weeklong Spring Festival holiday every year, but this year the novel coronavirus outbreak prompted China to extend the holiday, and many factories and businesses did not restart until Feb 10.

Many city governments have arranged chartered trains and flights and offered subsidies and fee exemptions to help companies retrieve workers and ensure smooth reopening while strengthening preventive and control measures to minimize infection risks.