Resumption of business activity, anti-contagion campaign both critical

A meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Friday highlighted the need to ensure the smooth flow of workers and the sound functioning of the economy via measures to maintain unimpeded industry and supply chains as China continues with unremitting contagion containment efforts.

The leading group of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on responding to the novel coronavirus pneumonia said the country must adopt proactive and orderly measures to reopen shopping malls, markets and the service sector to promote the recovery of the economy and minimize the pandemic's impact.

Local authorities must accelerate steps to expand testing capacities, expand the coverage of tests and prioritize support for the manufacture of equipment and test kits that can produce results more accurately, conveniently and quickly, the group said in a statement.

It urged proactive efforts to move forward with the research and development of vaccines and pharmaceuticals and offer more training to testing specialists.

China is weighing targeted measures for virus control this summer, including more guidance over the production and use of personal protective equipment, it added.

Steps to prevent importation of infected cases will be further refined to accommodate a possible rise in personal exchanges and economic cooperation given that some countries are considering various reopening measures, the group said.

It reiterated that local authorities must continue with unrelenting coronavirus containment efforts, refine normalized and targeted measures already adopted and make information publicly available regarding infections in an open and transparent manner.

The group underscored that the nation is still facing the arduous task of preventing a rebound in outbreaks, with infection clusters recently seen in Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces as well as Wuhan, Hubei province－the hardest-hit area by the contagion in China.

Authorities in these areas must conduct in-depth research, determine infection sources as soon as possible and ensure that every close contact is placed under observation to eliminate transmission pathways, it added. It called for stronger steps to screen for asymptomatic cases and proper medical treatment for confirmed cases.

Cui Gang, an official with the disease prevention and control bureau under the National Health Commission, said on Friday the easing of restrictive rules by some countries－without major progress in the development of drugs or medical treatment－would amplify the risk of a rebound in infections and compound the difficulty of reining in the global pandemic.

He said the authority believes that risks arising from imported cases are generally under control.

China reported four new confirmed cases on Thursday, all locally transmitted infections in Jilin, Jilin province, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the city since May 7 to 26. Three of them are in severe condition.

The local government said it is striving to boost testing capacity and expand the scope of epidemiologic research. The investigation into the source of these infections is also underway.

Liu Mingtai in Jilin and Wang Xiaoyu in Beijing contributed to this story.