A view of Taizhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/WeChat account: tzfb001]

Taizhou in East China's Zhejaing province issued a proposal on Jan 11 to encourage employees to stay in the city for the Spring Festival holiday, in an effort to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and to stabilize local production capacity.

The proposal was echoed by 33 cities in nine provinces, including Anhui, Guizhou, Henan, Jiangxi, and Sichuan, where the majority of migrant workers in the city are from.

Official data shows that there are more than 2 million non-local employees in Taizhou. Incentives, including subsidies and free tickets to local scenic spots, are being offered to encourage them to stay in the city.

Efforts will be strengthened to protect the legitimate rights and interests of migrant workers who spend the Spring Festival in Taizhou, a local official said.

Recently the city has been designated a provincial model for its efforts to eradicate wage arrears.

According to a guideline rolled out by the city to bolster employment in the manufacturing sector on Jan 8, local authorities will allocate an additional 70 million yuan ($10.8 million) to support enterprises to stabilize recruitment.

Last year, a total of 253,500 employees were brought back to Taizhou by chartered vehicles, including buses, trains, and planes, after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 197 million yuan in subsidies allocated by the government to companies and employees have been given out.