China's State Council, the cabinet, issued a circular on Monday encouraging government departments and businesses to pay close attention to safety in the upcoming week-long Labor Day holiday.

The circular called for increased safety checks of traffic hotspots and tourist sites. It also told local authorities to tighten supervision of the coal mine industry during the holiday, improve fire control and enhance food safety to prevent food poisoning.

It said safety supervision departments should be on high alert during the holiday and be ready to cope with any emergency.

It also warned relevant departments against delaying reporting or trying to cover up accidents during the holiday.

A record 120 million trips were made in the Labor Day holiday in China last year. Forty-four people were killed across the country in seven major road accidents during the seven-day holiday.

(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2007)