Quzhou in East China's Zhejiang province has begun providing free admission to tourist spots for medical workers in China to honor their contributions to the fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia, according to a statement by the Quzhou municipal bureau of culture and tourism on Feb 14.

These measures apply to all medical workers with medical practitioner and nurse practitioner certificates in China, including Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. The policy will be effective until the end of 2020.

No less than 100 scenic spots in the city are now open for free to medical workers, including Lanke Mountain, the Longyou grottoes, Jianglang Mountain, ancient Nianbadu town, ancient Qingyang village, Qianjiangyuan National Forest Park, and the Root Palace Buddhist Cultural Tourism Zone.

A total of 5,000 guestrooms at nearly 1,000 homestays in Quzhou are also free for medical workers, including high-profile countryside inns such as Yishe, Cunshang Wine-Making, and Shenshan.

All starred and themed hotels in the city will offer 10,000 free guestrooms to Chinese medical workers, who will also enjoy group discounts at other hotels selected by the Quzhou municipal bureau of culture and tourism.

As of Feb 14, a total of 217 medical teams consisting of 25,633 medical workers (not including army medical workers) had been sent to support Hubei province, the most hard-hit province in China. Among them, 181 have been sent to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak in China, according to a press conference of the information office of the State Council on Feb 15.

To date, Quzhou has sent three groups of 50 medical workers to support Wuhan, including five in the first group, which was sent on Jan 25, 18 in the second group, which was sent on Jan 29, and 32 in the third group, which was sent on Feb 9.

Jianglang Mountain, a World Natural Heritage Site, is among the 100 scenic spots in Quzhou that are now free for Chinese medical workers. [Photo/qz123.com]

The Cunshang Wine-Making countryside inn, renovated out of a 200-year-old house, is one of the 1,000 homestays in Quzhou that are now free for Chinese medical workers. [Photo/qz123.com]