Xinhua Commentary: If you don't return home unless you need to, you can live a good year in peace

Mao Tonghui

The year is approaching, and the heart is heartfelt. The Spring Festival is approaching, and it is precisely when migrant workers are about to embark on their way home for the Chinese New Year with great hopes. However, the current severe and complex situation of prevention and control of the new crown pneumonia epidemic has made people face the contradictory choices of rationality and emotion, peace and reunion.

Recently, China's local epidemic situation has shown a multi-point sporadic and local clustered epidemic situation. The Comprehensive Group of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council recently issued the Notice on Doing a Good Job in the Prevention and Control of the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Epidemic during the New Year's Day and Spring Festival in 2021, pointing out that migrant workers are guided to stay in the place of work for the New Year when conditions permit. Beijing, Shanghai, Anhui, Henan, Shandong and other places have also recently issued suggestions that the Spring Festival is not necessary to return to the hometown, encourage flexible leave, and advocate non-essential work and local festivals.

Not returning to the hometown is a kind of goodwill guidance and reminder before the arrival of the large-scale migration of the population, and it is a necessary move to prevent the large-scale movement of people from amplifying the risk of epidemic transmission. Our experience in fighting the epidemic last year showed that not gathering and going out less is the magic weapon to control the epidemic. We must soberly realize that although we have withstood the test of hundreds of millions of people going out on National Day last year, we cannot think that going out during the Spring Festival will not be a problem. Experts remind that the Spring Festival is different from the National Day, due to the cold winter, it is very suitable for the survival of the virus, and the movement of people is more likely to spread the epidemic. At present, as the weather turns colder and the epidemic prevention situation becomes more severe, advocating non-essential non-return to the hometown is an extraordinary policy made by various localities and departments at an extraordinary time, which shows the attitude of putting people's life safety and physical health first.

Not returning to their hometowns is a rational choice for every migrant worker to be responsible for himself, his family and society under the severe epidemic prevention and control situation. It is true that the Spring Festival is the traditional festival that Chinese values the most, and the reunion is the deepest background color and the strongest flavor of the New Year, and it is also the warmth of everyone who works outside all year round, and the dream is longing, but the premise of all the good is peace. At present, the situation of epidemic prevention and control is grim, if it is not necessary, we should not risk being infected, and rush home with our hearts and fears, because that may give the virus an opportunity to lay mines for our own life and health and the lives and health of others, and the reunion we are looking forward to may also be "disrupted" by the virus. Winning the battle of epidemic prevention and control depends on the white armor of medical personnel, relying on the retrograde march of soldiers, police, community workers and other fronts, and it is also inseparable from the unity of will of countless ordinary people to "give up small gatherings, for everyone" and personal "convenience" to obey the overall situation of epidemic prevention.

At extraordinary times, relatives are far away, and their own peace is the most affectionate blessing, physical security can be at ease, and peace is a good year. Stay until the spring warm blossom day, and get together for a longer time.

【Editor-in-Charge: Ma Ruohu】