BEIJING — China's Ministry of Civil Affairs has issued a circular demanding community-level childcare workers find and help children whose parents or guardians are not around amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The information of children whose parents or other guardians are unable to perform guardianship duties due to infection or suspected infection, medical quarantine or busy epidemic control work should be reported, according to the circular.

The circular stressed a social assistance scheme to help children in need and streamline approval procedures to offer them prompt aid.

Hotlines should also be set up to locate more children in need and offer related services, according to the circular.