CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Thursday, February 6, 2020 | 3 TOP NEWS
Coronavirus Outbreak Expansion: Outbreak Li calls for ‘is testing the economy’ major effort
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The country’s thirdlargest prov ince by economic output aimed to on supplies resume operations of all approved businesses in the region, prioritiz ing infrastructure services, hospital Key industries told to resume output suppliers and energy and logistics related companies. of goods vital to fighting epidemic Provinces including Shanxi, though without announcing specific time By ZHANG YUE to companies that shift to manufac lines on restarting full production, [email protected] turing urgently needed medical have rolled out detailed regulations supplies. The excess of medical sup and supportive policies for selected China will roll out a range of meas plies thus produced will be pro companies that have or plan to restart ures to ensure the supply of key med cured by the government as operations including enterprises ical goods as well as daily necessities, reserves. Deferral of social insur engaged in the infrastructure sector. and increase production of medical ance contributions and other possi Shanxi has encouraged State essentials amid the ongoing epidem ble measures will be encouraged to owned enterprises to first resume Workers waterproof a roof at the construction site of Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei prov ic prevention and control effort, the help businesses keep payrolls stable. operations through flexible and ince, on Wednesday. Leishenshan Hospital is one of the temporary hospitals built to treat pneumonia State Council’s executive meeting “The needs across the country remote work arrangements to pre patients infected with the novel coronavirus. ZHU XINGXIN / CHINA DAILY chaired by Premier Li Keqiang for essential goods and medical vent any workplace contagion. decided on Wednesday. resources must be met. Subnation “Both the real economy and “We must make allout efforts al governments should fulfill their financial markets are getting used across the nation to meet the needs due responsibilities. Stronger gui to the disruptions caused by the out for materials in epidemic preven dance should be provided to better break,” Yang said, adding that inves Leishenshan Hospital gets ready tion and control as well as medical coordinate the work on all fronts,” tor sentiment has recovered after professionals in Hubei province, Li stressed. Monday’s stock market selloff. especially its capital city Wuhan. Strong efforts should be made to China’s Ashare market rebounded for novel coronavirus patients Key industries should lose no time ensure the production and provi for the second trading session in row in resuming production and oper sion of major agricultural products, on Wednesday, with the key Shang ate at full capacity to ensure the including eggs, meat and vegeta hai Composite Index rising by 1.25 By ZHANG YANGFEI in Beijing The temporary hospital consists Liu Jintao from Shenyang, Liao normal operation of industrial bles. percent to close at 2,818.09. and WU YONG in Wuhan of a medical isolation zone, a living ning province, chose to stay on duty chains,” Li said. “We must make the key macro Liu Chunsheng, an associate pro zone for medical staff and a logistics in Wuhan during the Lunar New “Transportation of these materi policy support welltargeted and fessor of international trade at the The second emergency specialty area. It can accommodate 1,500 Year holiday. als must be well coordinated. The extend it, as quickly as possible, to Central University of Finance and field hospital built in Wuhan, Hubei patients after its completion. After the outbreak of the novel initiative of governments at the enterprises producing medical Economics, said the outbreak will province, to combat the novel coro Devices used in intensive care coronavirus, Liu, who works for subnational level should be supplies and daily necessities and still suppress economic activity in navirus outbreak, is scheduled to units, operating rooms, clinical labo China State Railway Investment brought into full play. The central companies key to economic devel the near future, but economic start treating patients on Thursday. ratories as well as other departments Construction Group Co, was trans government should provide fiscal opment and people’s livelihoods,” growth should see a recovery start Leishenshan Hospital entered its were already transported to the hos ferred to the construction site and and financial support.” Li said. ing from the second quarter. final stage of construction by pital and have been installed. Equip was responsible for directing thou The meeting required redoubled “Panic and overreaction should “The virus outbreak is testing the Wednesday afternoon. All 3,300 ment for blood and urine tests, for sands of vehicles entering and exit efforts to ensure supplies vital for be averted, while sciencebased and Chinese economy, but it should not prefabricated units used as patients’ example, was already installed in the ing the site every day. epidemic control as well as daily sensible prevention and protection change the basic trend of steady eco rooms in the medical isolation zone, clinical laboratories and will able to To prevent the spread of the virus, necessities. While enterprises in should be encouraged,” he said. nomic expansion,” Liu said. which is the core construction part examine 300 blood samples and 210 Liu wore a face mask all the time, key industries will be urged to Greater fiscal and financial sup The Caixin China Composite Pur of the hospital, have been hoisted urine samples per hour. which made him shout even louder promptly resume production, port will be extended to companies chasing Managers’ Index — one of the and entered the phase of interior Most of the rooms are depressur than usual. Stateowned enterprises in related producing epidemic control mate most closely watched barometers of decoration. ized and have a special ventilation “I dared not to drink water regu areas shall promptly switch pro rials. economic conditions — stood at 51.9 Each unit has been equipped with system to prevent viruses from larly. Because drinking water means duction to better serve the need of Financial support will be extend in January, indicating that the econo a cabinet that links each patient spreading out of the hospital. I would have to take off the mask,” outbreak response and expand ed to businesses deeply affected by my has maintained the recovery that room to hallways. The cabinet ena Construction of seven dormitory he said. such production capacity. the outbreak, especially micro and began in the fourth quarter, media bles medical staff to deliver daily buildings for hospital staff mem Liu said he called his family in Special support will be extended small firms. group Caixin said on Wednesday. necessities or medical products bers has also been completed. Shenyang every night to tell them A PMI reading above 50 indicates without the need to enter the room Builders began work on Leishen that he was safe. “There would be no expansion, while one below the and prevent cross infection. It also shan Hospital on Jan 25, modeled home without our country. Protect mark indicates contraction. has ultraviolet light to disinfect the on Beijing’s Xiaotangshan Hospital, ing Wuhan is protecting my home Special moment Economists also called for more supplies during the delivery. which treated severe acute respira and everyone’s home,” he added. policy measures to help sustain the Items including air conditioners, tory syndrome cases in 2003. recovery after disruptions from the cables, televisions and electric lights More than 12,000 workers took Contact the writers at coronavirus outbreak fade. have also been placed in each unit. part in the construction. [email protected] “Policymakers need to make efforts to ensure there are no major disruptions to improving business confidence,” said Zhong Zhengsheng, chairman and chief economist at Data: Halting virus spread ‘most urgent’ CEBM Group, a Caixin subsidiary. Liu called for more favorable poli From page 1 normal lives,” Song Shuli, the told Xinhua News Agency on Tues cies for new businesses springing up commission’s spokeswoman, said day that the spread of the novel amid the outbreak, such as online “Improved testing capability on Wednesday. coronavirus is still severe and education and robotics. has allowed infected patients to “Such an encouraging sign has unclear, and “should never be receive better and more timely been observed in Hubei as well as underestimated”. Contact the writers at treatment, and people who are the entire country,” Song added. “We don’t have evidence to pre [email protected] ruled out are able to return to She was speaking at a news con dict when the epidemic will reach ference held by the Joint Preven its peak or turning point. The tion and Control Mechanism of most urgent task at hand is to halt A man surnamed Lyu greets the head of a medical treatment the State Council, an intergovern the disease’s spread and to swiftly group at Tangdu Hospital in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, on Tues HOTLINES mental system that consolidates identify and gather mild cases into day. Lyu is the first man in the province to recover from the novel disease prevention efforts from designated quarantine facilities to coronavirus. LIU XIAO / XINHUA FOR EXPATS different government bodies. prevent wider transmission,” Li Xingwang, head of Beijing Wang said. SET UP Ditan Hospital’s infectious disease Wuhan, Hubei’s provincial capi Information for foreigners center, said the number of con tal, is under intense pressure to in China about the novel coronavirus outbreak firmed cases has also expanded as handle a ballooning number of Rural issues stay at top of people suspected of having the patients. The city has been work virus can now access test kits more ing around the clock to set up 11 Hotline WeChat quickly. temporary hospitals by refitting government policy agenda “Testing for the virus in Hubei warehouses, convention centers, For expats in Hubei Bilingual information on the has accelerated rapidly,” he said. gymnasiums and schools. Agriculture, rural areas and improve rural weak links, accord province, a 24-hour hotline virus in Hubei is updated daily “The numbers compute — the These temporary institutions farmers’ issues remain China’s top ing to the document. on the Hubei Foreign A airs reduction in suspected cases is can together provide more than priorities for the 17th consecutive It noted that work should be 027-87122256 Oce’s WeChat account: has been set up. accompanied by an increases in 10,000 hospital beds for patients year as this year’s “No. 1 central done to maintain social harmony hb2018wq confirmed cases as well as those in with mild symptoms, Xinhua document”, released on Wednes and stability in rural areas and Other regional hotlines: severe condition.” said. day, stressed poverty alleviation enable rural people to feel more The number of confirmed cases Wang Ying, a supervisor of a and improving rural weak links. satisfied, happy and secure. It also Beijing: 12345 Tips on virus prevention are also available in several on the Chinese mainland rose by temporary hospital set up in a As the first policy statement demanded efforts to promote Shanghai: 12320 3,887 on Tuesday to 24,324, gymnasium, told Beijing News released by China’s central author highquality agricultural develop Guangzhou: 960169 languages on the National Immigration Administration’s according to the National Health that they have divided the facility ities each year, the document is ment. Shenzhen: 12345 WeChat account: Commission. The mainland death into grids and passages and seen as an indicator of policy pri China aims to achieve its goal of Nanjing: 025-68787321 toll went up by 65 to 490 as of late require the beds to be situated 1.1 orities. This year it urged efforts completing the building of a mod Hangzhou: 0571-85155039 NIANEWS Tuesday night. meters apart in an attempt to on two main tasks — winning the erately prosperous society in all Although concerted nation reduce the risk of crossinfection. battle against poverty and respects this year, which also Website wide efforts have appeared to ease “But the risk is very low, as all strengthening areas of weakness marks the last year for the country the crisis in Hubei, it is still pre patients admitted into these hos concerning agriculture, rural are to win the battle against poverty. For more The Ministry of Foreign A airs mature to predict the outbreak’s pitals are mild infection cases,” as and farmers, as the country Facing a complex situation with information, has set up a special column future development, experts have Wang said. strives to complete the building of emerging challenges from home please visit the titled Fighting 2019-nCoV on its said. The National Health Commis a moderately prosperous society and abroad and downward pres ocial websites website, which has the latest The two confirmed infections of sion has released an updated ver in all respects this year. sures on economic growth, it is of of local foreign information from the National newborns at Wuhan Children’s sion of diagnosis and treatment China will move to win the bat great importance for the country a airs oces. Health Commission. Hospital has caused experts to guidelines on Wednesday, high tle against poverty, improve infra to stabilize the agricultural indus worry about the possibility of lighting more rigorous screening structure and public services in try and give full play to the role of For more We are eager to hear your personal mothertofetus infection. Both and quarantine measures to con rural areas, ensure supplies of agriculture, rural areas and farm information, stories, thoughts, suggestions or babies are in stable condition, the trol spread of the contagion. important agricultural products, ers, said an official with the office please follow the problems. Please email them to hospital said. promote increases in farmers’ of the central rural work leading China Daily App. [email protected]. Wang Chen, president of the Chi Contact the writers at incomes, strengthen grassroots group. nese Academy of Medical Sciences, [email protected] governance in rural areas and XINHUA