The local government is stepping up relief efforts in north China's Zhuozhou, Hebei Province, as floodwaters recede. More than 2,000 road blockages have been repaired in the province, and over 30 million square meters have been disinfected to prevent possible disease spread. 

In Hebei's Zhuozhou City, teachers are working together to clear debris in schools. 

"We estimate that by August 25, we will complete all the dredging, cleaning and disinfection work. Then we'll spend another five or six days repairing doors and windows, adding new office equipment and facilities, to ensure that the new semester starts on September 1 as scheduled," said Li Zongchen, Party chief of Zhuozhou Middle School.

Major comprehensive hospitals have restarted normal medical services. Health service centers at the community and township levels are also restoring their services in an organized manner.

Zhuozhou Fanyang Hospital was severely affected in the disaster. Starting from August 5, the hospital has fully resumed medical services and has provided free treatment for the injured.

A total of 2,053 road sections cut off by floods had reopened to traffic as of Wednesday afternoon, accounting for nearly 90 percent of the damaged roads in the province.

In Waijinggou Village, Huailai County of Hebei, the roads destroyed by mountain torrents have been almost fully repaired by the dedicated rescue personnel with heavy machinery.

"Now, a ditch in the south has been dredged, through which the villagers can go to their farmland. The restoration of other facilities is underway. The traffic in our village has been basically restored now," said Zhang Qiyue, Party chief of the village.

Meanwhile, power supply for the urban area of Zhuozhou and more than 90 villages in the city has been restored as of Thursday, with rush repairs underway in the rest of the affected villages.

"All the home appliances are working now. With the electricity back on, we feel much more at ease," said Wu Hui, a villager.

Zhu Chunjie, as a chef, signed up to help with the cooking as soon as he heard that volunteers were preparing meals for the evacuees at a shelter. "I just hope that the people affected by the disaster and the rescue teams will have a hot meal to eat," Zhu said.

At Zhuozhou No. 2 Middle School, a temporary resettlement site, volunteers offered to help prepare and deliver meals to the evacuees, with the support of the local government and people from all walks of life.

The local government is distributing mineral water to villagers as the tap water supply has not come back. With the help of numerous business owners in the community, there have been places to store fresh food. The volunteers will continue to help out until the evacuees are able to return home.

The express delivery industry has been also gradually recovering, and half of the eight companies in the city are now able to resume normal delivery services.

"Our company has 75 employees, and currently, 67 employees have returned to work. We are conducting the backlog of parcels. We expect to resume normal operations at this branch by August 12 at the latest," said Wang Bowei, manager of an express delivery enterprise.

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