The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held a meeting on Monday to hear a report on the current work of the novel coronavirus and discuss how to double efforts to curb the outbreak.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting and delivered a speech.

The meeting stressed the importance of the double efforts in curbing the epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus in central China's Hubei Province, particularly the key regions – the city of Wuhan and its surrounding areas.

Material resources support of all kinds should be put on the front line of the fight with priority given to medical staff and patients, it added.

Chinese authorities have given top priority to the safety and health of the people, Xi said, adding that the prevention and control work are vigorously carried out under the centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee and with the concerted efforts of all parties.

He noted that the work against the epidemic is closely related to people's lives and health, overall economic and social stability, and China's opening-up.

The president asked Party organizations, officials and members to unite the people in resolutely implementing the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee. 

The work against the novel coronavirus is not just a matter of medical and health care, but a comprehensive process, Xi said. "All work should serve to win the fight against the epidemic," he added.

Xi stressed that there should be no formalism and bureaucracy in fighting the epidemic, noting that any dereliction of duty shall be punished in accordance with discipline and law.

The country should spare no efforts in treating patients so as to improve the cure rate and reduce the infection and fatality rates, the meeting stated.

Scientific research on the source of infection, ways of virus transmission and mutation in viruses are also of great importance for timely prevention and control strategies, the meeting said.

It also stressed efforts from local governments to ensure a stable supply of epidemic prevention and control materials and daily necessities.

Party committees and governments at all levels should continue to work hard to achieve this year's targets and tasks for economic and social development, closely monitor economic performance and pay attention to the impact of the epidemic on economic performance, it added.

The novel coronavirus outbreak is a great test of China's system and capacity for governance and efforts should be made to improve the national emergency management system based on the experiences and lessons learned during the battle, it said.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, Xi also paid tribute to the officials and workers, medical workers and scientific researchers on the front line, as well as soldiers of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and personnel from all sectors, and expressed sincere condolences to the victims and their families.