BEIJING, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Metro lines in Beijing will further intensify disinfection to better curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, Beijing subway authorities said Tuesday.

Disinfection will be conducted once an hour on all security devices, gate machines, ticketing machines, handrails, and lifts on all metro lines, and public areas including restrooms and office areas will be disinfected five times a day.

Trains will also be disinfected five times before departure and staff will disinfect the carriages before they return to the station.

Passengers are required to wear masks on board the train and keep a safe distance between each other. For those who insist on not wearing masks, staff will seek help from the police.

Beijing has been conducting daily disinfection and body temperature checks of passengers in 23 subways lines covering 405 stations since early February.