Noting the complex COVID-19 situation overseas and the arduous task of preventing domestic rebounds, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang demanded unremitting efforts to forestall imported infections and a domestic resurgence by ensuring that the prevention and control measures are implemented down to every detail.

Premier Li, also head of the Central Leading Group on Responding to the Novel Coronavirus Disease Outbreak, made the remarks while presiding over a meeting of the leading group held on Friday.

The meeting stressed intensifying containment measures in key regions and places to forestall resurgence of infections, urging targeted prevention and control measures in Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces where cluster infections were reported recently. 

It stressed that local authorities should immediately take action when new cases are discovered, cut off transmission routes as soon as possible, and honestly release related information to the public. 

Read more:

Wearing masks may become Chinese's new normal

China, EU discuss cooperating on coronavirus vaccine

Efforts should be made to speed up the vaccine research and development, according to the meeting. 

The meeting urged efforts to facilitate various shopping malls, markets, and life service sectors to return to normal operations and smooth industrial and supply chains to promote economic recovery, minimizing the impact of the epidemic on social and economic development. 

Response to new COVID-19 clusters 

China is expanding the coverage of nucleic acid testing to guard against a rebound of COVID-19 while an epidemiological investigation into new cluster outbreaks in northeastern areas is ongoing.  

Three domestically transmitted cases on the Chinese mainland were reported Wednesday – two in Liaoning Province and one in Jilin Province. 

Authorities in the northeastern city of Jilin have adopted several stringent measures to curb virus spread, such as suspending all coach and tourist charter bus services and applying closed-off management to all the city's residential communities and villages. 

Earlier, Heilongjiang Province fired or disciplined 18 officials for dereliction of duty in the fight against the epidemic.