The first batch of 28 round-trip through buses departed on Thursday from East China's Fujian province to several other provinces to bring employees of more than 20 enterprises in Fuzhou's Changle district back to work.

According to the Changle subsidiary of Minyun -- Fujian Automobile Transport Co Ltd -- each bus is equipped with disinfectants and electronic thermometers.

Bus staff are required to wear protective masks and monitor passenger temperatures to reduce the risk of cross-infection. The number of passengers will be limited to half of the licensed carrying capacity.

"They provide us with a 'one-stop' service from home to the company, thus reducing inconvenience and our concerns about the epidemic. This way we can return to work more safely and fully devote ourselves to the job," an employee from Central China's Hunan province said via a phone interview.

Sources from Changle's Industry and Information Bureau said the district will send more buses to bring additional employees back to work and support local enterprises to resume production as soon as possible.