WUHAN — China's Hubei province, hit hard by the novel coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak, will see a 20 percent increase in the annual recruitment of civil servants.

According to the general office of the provincial government, public institutions in Hubei will also offer 30,000 positions and open recruitment will be offered for 20,000 grassroots positions such as teachers, medical, health and community service workers.

The office said in a notice that the increased recruitment is aimed to strengthen the public service sector.

The province dispatched a large number of civil servants to reinforce quarantine rules and carry out body temperature checks in workplaces, public venues and residential communities during the epidemic.

The province has basically blocked the local transmission of COVID-19, but still needs to maintain epidemic control measures, according to the provincial government.