Rather than cold and cheerless as in previous years, warehouses of e-commerce companies are packed with groceries that are ready to be delivered to thousands of households across numerous cities, as residents are advised to stay at home for epidemic control during this year's Spring Festival holiday.

While most of the city is still asleep, deliveryman Xu Guobin, 31, along with his colleagues of a logistics center in the northwestern city of Xi'an, have started their busy day at 6:30 in the morning.

"I'm still getting used to wearing a mask throughout the day. I sometimes think it hides my good looks," says Xu jokingly, with the mask covering over half of his face.

Xu and his colleagues have been told to "fully protect themselves" before leaving the disinfectant-smelling warehouse to make their deliveries, such as taking their temperature several times a day and wearing the protective masks their company has supplied.