BEIJING -- Vice-Premier Liu He on Wednesday called for efforts to prevent and control the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic during the upcoming Spring Festival travel rush.

Authorities should give top priority to epidemic prevention and control, making sure that the epidemic does not spread during the peak travel season, Liu said as he inspected preparation work for the travel rush in Beijing.

Due to the epidemic, the total number of passenger trips is likely to go down this year, but the task of epidemic control will add to the difficulty of organizational work, Liu said, urging transport departments and companies to fulfill their duties.

He called for improved services, such as the use of health QR codes, to facilitate travel efficiency, along with measures to improve the travel experience of the elderly.

The Spring Festival travel rush, known as the world's largest annual human migration, lasts 40 days from Jan. 28 to March 8 this year.