Zhejiang has also promoted the transformation of public services in various fields, from government supply to public demand through digital reform, according to Chen Chouyong, professor at the Hangzhou Dianzi University and Dean of the Zhejiang Institute of Information Technology Development.

He added that digital and intelligent methods fully leverage the government's key role in the supply and guarantee of basic public services, while better satisfying the public's needs and making the public service system more targeted, fair and efficient.

Health codes help

Hangzhou, Zhejiang's provincial capital, launched a health QR code system on Feb 11, 2020, to help curb the spread of the coronavirus as it sought to restart production. Not long after, other cities in the Yangtze River Delta also began using QR health codes, which were linked to the epidemic prevention and control information network, by relying on big data, cloud computing, and other technologies.

On March 5, 2020, the Yangtze River Delta region was the first area in the country to achieve full health code coverage, which extended to Shanghai and Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces.

Those seeking to enter these areas must report their travel history and health online in advance before being assigned green, yellow, or red codes based on the information they offer.