Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, chaired a meeting of the CPC Central Committee leading group on novel coronavirus prevention and control on Jan 26, making further arrangements for prevention and control work. Premier Li is the leader of the group.

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and the deputy head of the group, also attended the meeting.

The group noted since the outbreak of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have attached great importance to and made important arrangements for prevention and control. The leading group, under the leadership of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, strengthens the unified leadership and guidance of national prevention and control work.

China is facing a crucial moment to prevent and control the novel coronavirus outbreak. Governments at all levels should put people's lives and health as the top priority, take the initiative to make prevention and control of the outbreak as their most important tasks, and adopt more decisive, orderly and scientific measures to effectively curb the spread of the virus.

The group demanded further effort to strengthen prevention and control work in Hubei province, especially Wuhan city. The central government will send groups to Hubei to direct work on the ground, and mobilize national resources to provide medical personnel and supplies, including protective suits and masks urgently needed in the province. Green passages for material transportation will be opened to ensure the supply of necessities for local people.

Hubei province and Wuhan city are urged to speed up the construction of hospitals for centralized treatment, renovate hotels as quarantine areas and give timely treatment for patients with fever. Rotating shifts and protection of medical personnel should also be enhanced to relieve their physical and mental pressures. The flow of people at rural-urban border areas, provincial and municipal boundaries should be strictly managed.

To prevent and control the pandemic in a targeted, scientific and effective way, instructions must be region-specific, with responsibilities assigned to corresponding governments and officials, the group added.

A leading group for combating the pandemic should be set up by each local government, with chief Party and government officials directing disease prevention and control work which must be done without any delay.

The spread of the pandemic should be subject to strengthened monitoring. Stringent isolation measures should be taken for confirmed cases, and individuals who are suspected of being infected or who have been in close contact with infected patients should receive isolation and examination according to medical requirements.

Cities seeing more cases of infection should step up efforts to increase the number of designated hospitals, with more space for beds and isolation.

Meetings and large-scale activities should be postponed or canceled. Inspection and control measures should be implemented in public places, including public transportation.

With a large number of migrant workers returning to rural areas lacking sound healthcare systems during the Spring Festival holiday, the government must take the situation seriously and call on rural people to engage in virus prevention and control, with backing from grassroots-level organizations and rural doctors.

As the holiday will end in a few days, though, arrangements for after-holiday disease prevention and control should be in place as early as possible. To reduce the flow of people, each city may choose to extend the holiday, adjust school opening times and encourage an online office model.

To maintain market order, the government should clamp down on merchants buying up essential materials to charge extremely high prices.

Governments at all levels should earmark sufficient fiscal funds for preventing and controlling the disease and saving and treating patients.

In saving and treating infected patients, the group urged further efforts to lower mortality. Successful experience in curing confirmed cases should offer insight for future diagnosis and treatment, with doctors and nurses receiving training as circumstances change. Joint efforts are needed from experts and researchers, among others, to make a breakthrough in developing a vaccine against the pneumonia.

The group required local governments to disclose information on pandemic prevention and control in a timely manner, accompanied by accountability for delays and concealment. While actively responding to public concerns, the government should educate the public on prevention and control work.

Communication and cooperation with the World Health Organization and relevant countries and regions should be enhanced.

Ding Xuexiang, Sun Chunlan, Huang Kunming, Cai Qi, Wang Yi, Xiao Jie and Zhao Kezhi, all members of the CPC Central Committee leading group to oversee the work of prevention and control of the pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, also attended the meeting.