BEIJING, Jan. 19 -- Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Thursday reiterated the dire necessity of treating COVID-19 patients with all-out efforts.

The vice premier made the remarks during an inspection tour of two hospitals in Beijing, where she expressed festive greetings to the medical workers.

Sun said that China's COVID-19 response shift is progressing smoothly, and the country's treatment of COVID-19 patients has yielded remarkable results. She noted that the number of severe COVID-19 cases in hospitals is in steady decline.

However, the task for medical personnel remains daunting, Sun said. She expressed hope that medical workers will make new contributions to protecting the people's health and well-being.

At a meeting held at the National Health Commission, Sun noted that the supply of drugs and medical supplies at the community level and in rural areas must be ensured.

She underscored the need to augment community-level medical workforces, and called for more attention to be paid to key groups such as the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions.

Relevant authorities should widely promote the exemplary deeds of medical workers, so as to enhance the respect given to them in society, Sun added.