BEIJING — An array of hygiene-promoting activities have been carried out nationwide in April, China's 32nd Patriotic Public Health Month, to create a sound environment for the COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control in the country.

The activities, aimed at carrying forward a national public health campaign, were expected to strengthen preventive measures and promote civilized and healthy lifestyles, according to a circular jointly issued earlier by nine departments including the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the National Health Commission (NHC).

"This year's activities during the Patriotic Public Health Month have placed an emphasis on key venues and sites, as well as weak links in disease prevention," said Mao Qun'an, an official from the NHC.

Meanwhile, differentiated control measures targeted at specific vectors were taken based on the characteristics of epidemic trends in different parts of the country, Mao added.

Health authorities and health-promoting institutions have carried out special operations on improving the environment of markets, production sites and residential areas in accordance with the situation of COVID-19 prevention and control in the country, according to Mao.

Efforts have been made to strengthen the management of garbage, sewage and toilets in order to improve the urban and rural environment.

Also during the COVID-19 epidemic, work has been done to raise public awareness about enhancing self-protection against diseases, developing good eating habits and abandoning bad hygiene practices.

Local authorities nationwide have been required to make feasible action plans, setting one major task for each week to ensure the accomplishment of goals, according to the circular.

The city of Shanghai has taken the lead in advocating the use of serving chopsticks and spoons during communal dining.

Sichuan province in Southwest China has organized cleaning activities on weekends across the province.

The National Patriotic Public Health Campaign, started in the 1950s with an emphasis on environmental hygiene, has played a vital role in containing plague, schistosomiasis and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), among other diseases, over the decades.