The ecology and environment bureau of the Liangjiang New Area, Southwest China's Chongqing municipality, did not stop operating despite the most recent COVID-19 outbreak.

One of the major projects in Liangjiang – the Wuhan Union Hospital Chongqing Branch, recently passed the environmental impact assessment conducted by the bureau, one month earlier than expected.

The branch is located in the Longxing New City, and was designed to serve as a key regional medical center capable of achieving optimized distribution of medical resources across different regions. Aware of the significance of the project, the bureau has established a special group for the environmental impact assessment and coordinated with municipal departments to make the online approval system available and make sure that the approval process is not affected by the pandemic.

Staff members of the bureau also offered consultation services to enterprises through e-mail, WeChat and phone, and guided them through the necessary online applications.

In addition, a fast channel has been opened exclusively for projects related to medical supply production, research and trials, sanitation and medical waste disposal.

Statistics show that during the latest pandemic outbreak, investment in projects handled by the bureau has totaled 5.86 billion yuan ($818.06 million).