Shanghai Dasheng Health Products resumes mask production on Jan 21. (ZHANG KUN / CHINA DAILY)

BEIJING —  Chinese authorities Thursday asked businesses outside Hubei province to resume operation in an orderly manner while continuing to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Businesses outside Hubei are encouraged to create ways to make workplaces less populated or allow staff to take shifts to make production at full throttle

This will provide better guarantee for the prevention and control work and help maintain normal economic and social order, according to a high-level meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

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The meeting of the leading group of the CPC Central Committee on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak, which is headed by Li, also stressed maintaining concerted epidemic control efforts in Hubei, especially its capital city of Wuhan, where the outbreak hit hardest.

A variety of measures should be adopted to add hospital beds and medical staff in Hubei, according to the meeting.

Businesses outside Hubei are encouraged to create ways to make workplaces less populated or allow staff to take shifts to make production at full throttle. The shortage of machinery, staff or fund should be addressed through coordination to put the whole industry chain in normal operation, it said.

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Schools are asked to postpone start of new semester in an appropriate manner.

Railway and civil aviation authorities should roll out measures for passengers to sit less densely during their trips back from holiday and avoid travel peak to reduce the risks of virus spreading, it said.

Ensuring market supply

The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) also issued a circular urging local departments to support commercial enterprises with epidemic control and prevention conditions to resume operation.

MOC called on the wholesale markets, supermarkets, convenience stores and groceries to resume to work as soon as possible

Noting that more and more people are returning to city after the Spring Festival holiday, sending the demand for daily necessities spiking in large and medium-sized cities, the MOC called on the wholesale markets, supermarkets, convenience stores and groceries to resume to work as soon as possible.

Measures should be taken to ensure enterprises' purchase, transport and delivery of goods go smoothly, the circular said.

It also stressed efforts to monitor the dynamics of market supply and demand in a bid to forestall panic buying, stock-out and price hikes.

As the battle against the novel coronavirus enters a critical stage, the ministry urged enterprises to take effective epidemic control measures and equip their workers at the frontline with protective gear to guarantee a safe operation.