NANNING -- South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region issued a circular Friday calling off the cross-border road passenger transport and international waterway passenger transport services.

The move aims to strictly implement measures to prevent imported cases of COVID-19 infections in the border areas.

The region said that the issuance of entry and exit permits for the border areas has been suspended, so do trips through its ports.

Chinese citizens, including people living in the border areas, are not allowed to leave the country through land and waterway ports and border passages, according to the circular.

Villages and communities in the border areas are required to strengthen the management and inspection of inbound personnel and migrant population.

Most ports and passages in Guangxi have temporarily closed, except several ones remain open only for cargos.

The circular said that trade and supply are prohibited between Chinese vessels and foreign vessels on the sea. All inbound ships need to be quarantined and crew members are not allowed to disembark.

All entry personnel are required to file a health declaration form and undergo a 14-day medical quarantine, as well as do nucleic acid tests. Anyone who has a fever or respiratory symptoms will be sent to designated medical institutions for treatment.