China asks businesses to orderly resume operation

Chinese authorities Thursday asked businesses outside Hubei Province to orderly resume operation while continuing to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak.

This will provide better guarantee for the prevention and control work and help maintain normal economic and social order, said a statement issued after a high-level meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang.

The meeting of the leading group of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak 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, the statement said.