Tourists take selfies in a field in Baofeng county, Henan province, in March. [Photo/Xinhua]

Culture and tourism authorities are strengthening management of domestic attractions to better cope with the rising travel flow of the upcoming Labor Day holiday amid prevention work against COVID-19.

Tourist attractions across the country should limit travel flow to below 30 percent of their daily maximum visitor capacity during the five-day holiday from Friday to Tuesday, Luo Shugang, minister of culture and tourism, said on Thursday.

He said people's desire for travel is increasing after being quarantined or working at home for a long time due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Preferential policies given by local governments, for example, and free access to attractions and tourism coupons, also have spurred people's zeal for travel, which brought pressure on tourist sites in disease control work, he said.

"Travelers are encouraged to reserve their visits in advance to avoid mass gatherings," Luo said at a news conference organized by the State Council. "Attractions also should limit the number of visitors."

The Palace Museum and National Museum of China are scheduled to reopen to the public on Friday. A total of 5,000 visitors are allowed to get in the Palace Museum each day, with 3,000 people allowed from 8:30 am to 1 pm and 2,000 allowed from 1 pm to 4 pm. The National Museum of China will receive 3,000 people per day, according to Luo.

Also, tourism sites should release relevant information in a timely way to help the public, and control travel flow in areas that are more likely to see mass gatherings, such as entrance gates, main sightseeing spots, traffic interchange stations and narrow sections.

"Resting and dining areas also have a higher possibility of people gathering. So staff members at the tourist sites should better guide and supervise travelers to perform social distancing," he said. "Disinfections are also important, especially at some indoor areas and entertainment facilities."

Luo also called for temperature checks on travelers at tourist sites and encouraged tourists to voluntarily report to local health authorities any possible infections.

He added that tourist sites also should improve their abilities to handle emergencies.