SHIJIAZHUANG, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The construction of a major expressway traversing Xiongan New Area in north China's Hebei Province has resumed amid the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Wearing masks, local workers and those who did not leave for home during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday on Tuesday resumed construction of four sections of the Rongcheng-Wuhai New Expressway, which will link the existing Beijing-Hongkong-Macao line to reach Beijing.

To avoid cross-infection, the construction sites will be encircled with closed-off management, and new workers must be put under quarantine before entering the sites, according to the provincial department of transport.

The workers will also have their body temperatures checked every day.

To offset the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, the provincial government has encouraged different localities to be innovative in streamlining approval procedures to save time for developers and get construction projects started as soon as possible.

On Feb. 13, the provincial department of transport issued a notice requesting timely resuming construction of major projects related to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei integrated development, the Xiongan New Area and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.