At a meeting on Feb 13, Premier Li Keqiang urged more steps to effectively control the novel coronavirus epidemic, improving diagnosis and treatment, and speeding up drug research.

Premier Li is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the leading group on novel coronavirus 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.

Local authorities and related government departments should carry out instructions from President Xi Jinping and put in place measures rolled out by the leading group, to win the battle against the epidemic and achieve the goals for China’s social and economic development for this year, according to those at the meeting.

It was decided at the meeting to continue to place Hubei province, with Wuhan in particular, at the core of virus prevention. Wuhan city was urged to increase hospital beds in isolation wards to ensure that all patients will be hospitalized for treatment.

Xiaogan city, Huanggang city, and other cities hardest hit by the epidemic should take the same measures of quarantine and treatment that Wuhan has rolled out as soon as possible, the meeting said.

The meeting pledged full guarantees for the needs of newly added medical staff in Hubei province and Wuhan city, and other cities in the province will also see more medical staff as needed.

Also at the meeting, Hubei province and Wuhan city were asked to further enhance transportation control and prevent internal and outgoing spread of the virus.

With the introduction of off-peak travel and other measures to reduce population flows, massive after-holiday return trips will not occur this year, those at the meeting noted.

The group urged joint prevention and control actions in each region, to employ big data and grid-based approach to detect and monitor people in close contact with infected cases or at risk of being infected.

Each provincial government should direct the prevention and control work, classifying its cities and especially counties by the gravity of the epidemic situation, the group said, to implement different and targeted strategies.

Gradually returning life and production to normalcy should be put on the agenda as local conditions permit, the group added.

Noting that effective medicines and treatment are key to combating the virus, the group demanded all-out medical rescue.

To form better diagnosis and treatment schedules, the government should build a national diagnosis and treatment coordination network and a national database, and organize experts to gain insights for future cures from the recent recovery of nearly 6,000 patients.

Respiratory and circulatory support should be applied to critical and severe patients, with all means to prevent complications, the meeting said.

At the same time, more research should be done to explore and promote drugs and treatment methods that could prevent mild cases from getting worse.

The meeting also asked for deep integration of traditional Chinese medicine throughout diagnosis and treatment, and faster clinical trial of drugs to improve recovery and lower the death rate.

According to the meeting, the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council should coordinate the material and personnel supply in epidemic prevention, solve prominent problems, and publish authoritative information in a timely fashion.

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