Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday presided over a State Council executive meeting saying that the government will pay attention to employment issues to avoid large-scale layoffs amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The State Council has called on all regions and departments to offer temporary support to firms by measures including reducing or exempting rent for state-owned property, tax reductions and lowering loan rates.

Li stressed further efforts to resume work and ensure the supply of medical and daily necessities amid the country's all-out battle against the coronavirus epidemic.

Governments and departments at all levels have managed to do a solid job in disease prevention and control, while smoothly advancing work and production resumption of enterprises, rapidly increasing key medical supply, and ensuring generally ample supply of daily necessities, according to a statement released after the meeting.

The meeting emphasized that while strengthening the prevention and control of the epidemic, we must coordinate and advance various tasks of economic and social development, strengthen economic regulation, introduce in a timely manner and implement relevant policies, and maintain normal economic and social operations.

(With input from Xinhua)