The country is still facing a severe COVID-19 pandemic situation, with 2,723 locally transmitted cases reported on Sunday, of which 2,417 were in Shanghai, and 20,639 asymptomatic cases, according to the National Health Commission. Fifteen other provincial-level regions also saw new local infections.

While it is imperative to continue to take strict prevention and control measures including lockdowns to curb the latest resurgence of the novel coronavirus as soon as possible, it is equally important for the local governments to help major enterprises resume operation and production in an orderly way on the premise of safety. This is in compliance with the spirit of the central authorities' policy that seeks to contain the spread of the virus at the "minimum cost" to the economy and people's livelihoods.

That the long-lasting wave of infections in Shanghai and some other places has threatened to disrupt many of the country's industry and supply chains makes the task of production resumption even more pressing. Take the auto industry for example. Auto manufacturers in Shanghai and Jilin province, which have both been hit hard by flare-ups of the virus, have been forced to temporarily suspend production, which has had repercussions throughout the industry as their combined auto production accounts for more than 20 percent of the country's total and many of the major auto R&D centers are based in these two places.

Thus it is encouraging that five factories of China FAW Group in Changchun, capital of Jilin, have resumed production on Sunday, with nearly 8,000 workers returning to work. More than 25,000 workers at FAW's 276 auto parts suppliers have also returned to work, according to the local government.

To ensure the smooth flow of logistics and stabilize the industrial and supply chains, the central authorities will also unveil a "national unified pass" system to help transportation companies and freight drivers who have often found themselves stranded on blocked highways due to lockdowns. According to a national teleconference attended by Vice-Premier Liu He on Monday, officials at all levels must stick to a people-centered approach and not block the smooth flow of freight transport on any excuse so long as the driver has the pass and a negative nucleic acid test result. He also vowed the government will improve the working and living conditions of logistics workers and offer them financial support.

All this sends a strong message that maintaining normal economic activities carries the same significance as keeping the virus at bay. Officials who fail to understand this risk failing their duties because they can't see the wood for the trees.