BEIJING — China will set up quarantine areas on public transport vehicles to reduce the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus during the upcoming conclusion to the Spring Festival travel rush, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) said on Feb 6.

In addition to controlling the passenger numbers on public transportation and strengthening sanitation and sterilization, an isolated space at the back of public transport vehicles will be established into a temporary quarantine area for emergencies, said Cai Tuanjie, an official with the MOT, at a press conference.

Passengers who experience the sudden onset of fever, or other suspected symptoms during the trip will be quarantined in such areas and transferred to a test station for further examination as soon as possible, he said.

The country will see the number of returning trips rising around Feb 9 and an estimated 400 million passenger trips will be made during the second half of the Spring Festival travel rush, a drop of about 70 percent from last year.