The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee convenes a meeting on COVID-19 situation and better and more stringent epidemic prevention and control

The Standing Committee pointed out at the meeting that the country has recently seen cluster infections spreading widely and occurring frequently in multiple regions. It required that the local governments, epidemic control authorities, all organizations and individuals must fully take on their responsibilities, comply with the principle of "early detection, early reporting, early quarantine and early treatment" and conduct prevention and control work strictly and earnestly. Guidance for epidemic prevention and control in key regions must also be strengthened to bring local outbreaks under control as soon as possible.

The Standing Committee stressed that we need to keep people's normal work and life stable and orderly, guarantee the production and supply of daily necessities, and meet people's needs for medical treatment. We need to accelerate reforms on the disease control and prevention system, expand monitoring coverage of key groups, and improve the mechanism for monitoring and issuing early warnings through multiple channels so as to comprehensively boost epidemic monitoring, early warning and emergency response capabilities. We will see that port-of-entry areas fulfill their responsibilities for COVID-19 control, increase the resources at their disposal, improve the mechanism for routine epidemic control, and shore up weak links. With all these efforts, we will reinforce the line of defense against imported cases.

We need to strengthen routine epidemic control in schools and other key places. We will see that these key places shoulder their primary responsibilities and keep epidemic containment measures and contingency plans effective and meticulous. We need to work to get our officials and people fully understand the importance of epidemic control and grasp the knowledge about COVID-19 response, so that they can take the initiative in following epidemic prevention rules, strengthen self-protection and work together with the Party and the government to deliver good outcomes in their work. We will increase publicity to raise vaccination awareness, step up booster vaccination efforts and further raise the overall vaccination rates. With all these efforts, we will reinforce the line of defense featuring society-wide prevention and control. We need to take coordinated efforts to better our information publishing and communication work so as to keep the public informed in a timely manner on the latest epidemic situation and progress in COVID-19 response, and actively respond to public concerns.

The Standing Committee requested that all localities and all departments align their thinking and action with the decisions and plans of the Party Central Committee, both Party committees and governments assume responsibility, all sectors work together, and everyone holds the ground and meets one's responsibility, so as to bolster our epidemic prevention capability. While strengthening organization and leadership, we must not drop our guard, lose drive, take chances or slacken efforts, and we must seize every moment to carry out all epidemic control work in a solid and meticulous manner. Wherever the epidemic situation is serious, the principal leaders of the Party and the government as well as officials at all levels must give top priority to epidemic response and put in their utmost effort to secure the final victory. Party organizations at all levels and all their members and officials should fully play their role, go to the frontline of epidemic control, communicate with the general public, and take active measures to help resolve problems and difficulties for our people. Accountability inspections will be strengthened. Anyone who fails to perform their duties and responsibilities and thus leads to a drastic escalation will be investigated and held to account right away in accordance with discipline and regulations.

Other matters were also discussed at the meeting.