BEIJING — Measures have been taken to strengthen social assistance to promptly respond to people's concerns and ensure the livelihood of the people in need during the coronavirus outbreak, a Chinese civil affairs official said on March 9.

The working process of social assistance has been streamlined, Liu Xitang, an official with the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA), said at a press conference in Beijing.

"For example, the household survey for those applying for subsistence allowances was ordered to be conducted through telephone inquiries or big data technology," Liu said, adding that anyone in severely affected regions will not be removed from the list eligible for subsistence allowances until the outbreak is over.

The MCA has asked local civil affairs departments across the country to deal with applications for social assistance through online platforms, such as WeChat public accounts, according to Liu.

In Wuhan and other severely affected regions, communities were authorized to carry out temporary assistance to those in need, he said.

China has issued a series of measures for people in need since Jan 29, which were released on the WeChat accounts of the MCA and the China Society News, he said.

Liu noted that local civil affairs departments were asked to set up and announce helplines for the public during the outbreak.