Govt to ramp up production of essential goods, medical supplies

China is ramping up efforts to speed up production and increase the market supply of necessities and medical products as part of its larger efforts to fight the coronavirus outbreak, said the country's top economic regulator.

Chen Da, deputy director of the Department of Trade at the National Development and Reform Commission, said except for Hubei province, the other 30 provinces have already resumed production.

As of Friday, the production capability of masks in China had been restored to 73 percent of normal level, among which the utilization rate of medical masks production capacity had reached 87 percent. And 94.6 percent of food production and processing enterprises in China have restored production, Chen said on Sunday at a press conference of the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council in Beijing.

In the next step, NDRC will work with relevant departments to ensure the supply of raw materials and accessories to resume production, keep the transportation of finished products unimpeded and protection of the safety of those who return to work.

According to Chen, more efforts are needed to promote an orderly return of employees back to their duty, promote the coordinated operation of the upstream and downstream companies of the industrial chain and promote enterprises to seriously implement various epidemic prevention requirements.