Control of the COVID-19 epidemic should be enhanced in key areas and regular prevention measures should be improved in line with the changing situation of the outbreak, according to a meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on May 15.

Premier Li also is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and head of the leading group on COVID-19 prevention and control.

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

Prevention and control measures for key areas, industries and people should be enhanced in a targeted way. Any hidden risks that might lead to outbreak should be screened out, and coordination should be achieved between regular control and production resumption, those at the meeting stressed.

At present, the epidemic situation has remained stable in general, but recently there emerged scattered cases in some areas, and clusters of infection occurred in Heilongjiang, Jilin and Wuhan. China still faces tremendous challenges in averting an epidemic rebound.

Those areas should trace loopholes in their epidemic prevention and control measures and conduct epidemiological investigation to find the infection source as soon as possible. Efforts should be made to ensure everyone in close contact with confirmed cases is found to cut off routes of transmission. Communities should enhance prevention and control measures to restrain the outbreak from spreading.

The liaison group of the State Council joint prevention and control mechanism against COVID-19, work groups dispatched by related authorities and medical experts should strengthen guidance and coordination. As several places have detected asymptomatic cases, tests should be reinforced and double checks should be conducted strictly according to standards. Cases that meet confirmation standard should receive quarantine and treatment in a timely manner, and medical institutions should intensify infection prevention measures to make sure no loopholes remain.

Epidemic prevention and control should always be highly valued, measures to promote regular and accurate epidemic prevention and control during resumption of work, production, market and school should be further improved, and information should be released in an open and transparent way, those at the meeting said, urging local authorities to be practical and realistic and not conceal or omit any truth to prevent any cluster infections from happening.

More efforts must be made to improve nucleic acid testing capabilities, expand the scope of tests and strengthen the development and research of testing equipment and reagents that are more accurate, convenient and fast, those at the meeting said. They also demanded more training for testing personnel.

In addition, the development and research of vaccines and drugs must be actively promoted. Measures targeted at epidemic prevention and control during the summer season should be carefully studied. And the public should be well guided in personal protection.

Currently, some countries are gradually relaxing restrictions, so measures for preventing the import of the epidemic should be further improved to adapt to the possible increase in personnel exchanges and economic cooperation.

Local governments should promote practices proven effective in the resumption of work, production and market on a regular basis, and keep a smooth channel for personnel flow and economic operation at home.

Active measures must be taken to promote comprehensive resumption of shopping malls, markets and life service industries of all kinds.

Furthermore, obstructive problems in the supply chain and the industrial chain should be solved through coordination to promote economic recovery, and minimize the economic and social impact of the epidemic.

Members of the leading group Ding Xuexiang, Huang Kunming, Cai Qi, Wang Yi, Xiao Jie and Zhao Kezhi also attended the meeting.