China stresses targeted COVID-19 containment measures, developing vaccines and drugs

Chinese authorities on Thursday stressed the need for targeted efforts to improve regular containment measures to prevent COVID-19, combined with further strengthening the development of vaccines, medicines and testing reagents.

A teacher measures a student's body temperature at a primary school in east China's Shanghai, June 2, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

The official instruction was issued at a meeting of the leading group of China's COVID-19 epidemic response, which was chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the leading group.

The meeting stressed the full implementation of measures to prevent both domestic epidemic rebounds and imported infections, as well as upgrading COVID-19 prevention and treatment capabilities.

The public health system should be improved to consolidate the gains in fighting the virus, the meeting said, urging greater efforts to advance the resumption of business and the reopening of schools, as well as the full restoration of the normal economic and social order.

Noting that the overall COVID-19 situation is now stable nationwide, the meeting said that sporadic cases have been reported in the past two weeks and there are still some asymptomatic cases across the country, adding that the risk of imported infections cannot be ignored.

The meeting demanded continuous efforts to implement regular epidemic containment measures, along with strengthened medical management of the asymptomatic cases.

The meeting called for dynamic adjustment, targeted improvement, and the implementation of epidemic response measures based on the restoration of domestic life and work, as well as a possible increase in the number of international travelers.

It also called for more guidance to promote the resumption of work in the tourism, culture and sports sectors.

With the reopening of schools continuing to accelerate, the meeting called for the strict implementation of epidemic prevention guidelines, the strengthening of drills in response to emergency, and the preparation of epidemic prevention supplies.

China's testing capacity for COVID-19 continues to improve as the country can offer nucleic acid testing to 3 million people each day, said the meeting.

Stressing the efforts to address the inadequacies of testing capacity in some regions, the meeting asked for intensified research on and production of rapid testing reagents and mobile equipment.

The meeting called for efforts to improve emergency response measures and medical treatment capabilities, as well as the replenishment of epidemic prevention resources.

The meeting also demanded greater international cooperation on the research of vaccines and medicines.

Phased results have been achieved in vaccine development, the meeting noted, calling for advancing clinical trials in line with the law and regulations to strive for breakthroughs as soon as possible.

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy head of the leading group, attended the meeting.