Beijing steps up urban sanitation efforts amid epidemic

BEIJING - The national capital of Beijing has stepped up efforts on urban sanitation, with more than 83,000 workers and 5,000 vehicles dispatched for everyday operations.

The city has maintained an average daily clearance and transportation capacity of 16,500 tonnes of domestic garbage, with 55 waste treatment facilities running smoothly, according to the municipal commission of urban management.

Li Rugang, deputy head of the commission, said the city has strengthened routine disinfection of sanitation infrastructure and public toilets, disposal of dumped face masks, treatment of trash from daily life and construction waste to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Toilets in hutong (alleyways) in the city's densely populated old neighborhoods have been disinfected twice a day, with frequently touched spots disinfected at least four times a day, according to Li.