The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Saturday held a meeting on the prevention and control of the outbreak of pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus. 
  
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, chaired the meeting. The standing committee decided to set up a high-level working group to oversee the work. 

Xi, who is also Chinese president, urged authorities at all levels to prioritize the safety and health of the people, noting that the prevention and control of the outbreak is currently the most important task. He expressed confidence in winning the battle against the outbreak. 

The new coronavirus pneumonia first broke out in Wuhan, the capital city of central China's Hubei Province, and then quickly spread across the country. 

Xi underscored the significance and urgency of the work, urging authorities at all levels to fulfill their duties, guarantee the supply of relevant medicine and materials, and strengthen the protection of the medical staff fighting the virus. 

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According to a statement released after the meeting, Hubei Province should take stricter measures to prevent the pneumonia from spreading and ensure the provision of basic living essentials for residents in Wuhan and the entire province. 

The statement called for a reduction of large-scale public events during the Spring Festival holidays, which runs from January 24 to 30, across the country. 

The committee also called for increased efforts to treat patients with the virus and speeding up research and development of the medicine and vaccine for treating the pneumonia. 

The CPC leaders demanded accuracy, openness and transparency in the release of information about the outbreak, the statement said.