BEIJING — More than 350,000 companies in China had obtained loans at preferential rates by late March as the country stepped up targeted financial support for businesses hit by COVID-19.

More than a half of the 300-billion-yuan (about $42.6 billion) re-lending loan quota previously earmarked for anti-virus efforts went to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, said a source of the People's Bank of China, the central bank.

A total of 5,995 key national and local enterprises had acquired by March 31 an accumulative loan total of 231.5 billion yuan at rates below 2.51 percent for their business re-opening.

The re-lending funds, which flowed to key firms of epidemic prevention and supply as designed, have played an important role in boosting these companies' capacities to provide medical supplies and daily necessities.

The central bank added another 500 billion yuan re-lending and re-discount quota in late February to help micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to get loans for their business re-opening, followed by an increase of an extra 1 trillion yuan re-discount quota for small and medium-sized banks in March.