BEIJING -- The Chinese capital on Friday was blanketed in snow and sleet, sending thousands of masked sanitation workers on standby to de-ice roads.

The Beijing Meteorological Service said Friday that the city experienced rain on Thursday evening, which turned into sleet and snow on Friday morning. Between midnight and 10 am, the city proper received an average rainfall of over 20 mm.

The snowfall is forecast to continue until Friday evening.

The meteorological authority has issued a warning for icy roads, while calling for the public to reduce outdoor activities, citing infection concerns amid the novel coronavirus outbreak and the increased risk of catching a cold.

The Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Management said they ordered the city's heating suppliers to ensure heating, especially to medical facilities at the front line of epidemic control efforts.

Sanitation authorities also mobilized 58,000 workers and 3,900 vehicles on standby for road de-icing, while requiring all sanitation workers to wear masks and gloves as a precaution against the disease.