Premier Li Keqiang urged local authorities to take more effective measures to prevent the H7N9 avian flu virus from spreading.

Premier Li, who hosted a State Council executive meeting on Feb 22, was briefed on the current prevention and control measures against the deadly disease. He asked local provincial leaders to monitor the epidemic and update information to the public.

China would also immediately close the live poultry markets where infected birds were detected, as exposure to live poultry is one crucial factor in human infections, according to a statement released after the meeting.

As many as 79 people died of the H7N9 avian flu strain in January, more than tripling the death toll in December 2016, and far surpassing the number of deaths in the same month over the past years, China’s National Heath and Family Planning Commission reported on Feb 15.