The Ministry of Civil Affairs urged local branches to make sure all urban seniors living alone and left-behind children who are quarantined at home are taken care of during the novel coronavirus epidemic.

At a video conference organized by the ministry on Wednesday, local civil affairs departments were asked to check on the health and pay regular visits to the seniors and children as well as orphans and children living in poor financial conditions. Support including subsidies must be provided to these groups when necessary, it said.

The ministry also asked retirement homes and orphanages to continue their stringent closed-off management.

A 6-year-old child was found staying at home alone while his grandfather in his 70s died at home in Shiyan city, Hubei province, when social workers visited them on Monday.

The boy didn't go out to seek help because the grandfather told him there was virus outside. The boy's parents who work outside of Hubei are on their way home to pick up the boy, Beijing News reported on Wednesday.

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