BEIJING, Dec. 26 -- Chinese authorities have stressed the need to ensure a smooth transition of COVID-19 response phases in a circular on the work related to the upcoming New Year and Spring Festival holidays.

The circular from the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council underscored putting the people and human life above all else and adopting a science-based approach and targeted measures.

Hard work has been demanded of localities and government departments in COVID-19 response measures for key locations, organizations, and population groups, aiming to minimize COVID-19 impact on people's production and lives.

More efforts should be made to guide patients to be treated in a tiered, multi-level, and referral-based manner and offer health advice for at-home patients.

The circular stressed the need to prepare for meeting medical treatment needs, especially for the severely ill, to ensure the treatment for severe cases and the regular order of medical treatment.

It went on to call for superior production, supply, reserve, and distribution of drugs and testing reagents, noting that price gouging and hoarding will be investigated and punished under the law.

Regarding transport in the upcoming peak Lunar New Year travel period, the circular noted the importance of meeting the people's travel needs, minimizing the risk of virus transmission, and providing safe, easily accessible transport services as the principles to be followed.

It proposed guiding enterprises and organizations to allow employees to take vacations in a staggered manner that respects both organizations' requirements and employees' wishes. Similarly, schools can be guided to introduce staggered holiday schedules that facilitate staggered commute times for students.