(Yicai Global) Jan. 26 -- China will adopt a host of measures including delaying and reducing conferences and major events, extending the Spring Festival holiday and supporting work online to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to a decision released at a high-level meeting today.

Premier Li Keqiang presided over the meeting of the leading group of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on coping with the novel coronavirus, a pneumonia-causing virus, in Beijing. Li is head of the group.

It is important to have a keen understanding of the grave situation of epidemic control and prevention, put the safety and health of the people at a paramount position and make epidemic control a top priority right now, a statement released after the meeting read.

The supply of necessities for residents in Hubei province and Wuhan, epicenter of the outbreak, must be ensured with unimpeded passage to be offered for resources distributed to the region, it added.

The meeting also called for stronger support to medical workers to ensure their rotation from the frontline, their protection and to alleviate their mental and physical pressure.

Authorities in areas with a large number of patients must increase the number of designated treatment hospitals, hospital beds and quarantine areas, the statement said.

More monitoring and epidemic control measures will be carried out at public venues and transport vehicles, it said.

The meeting also pointed out weaknesses in health conditions in rural areas with a large number of migrant workers returning to their homes.

To reduce population flows, the meeting decided on measures such as extending the Spring Festival holiday, which is scheduled between Jan 24 and 30, and delaying the start of the spring semester at colleges and schools.

The meeting urged quicker breakthroughs in research of vaccines for the virus, saying experts and researchers must work together in the process and social organizations must be encouraged to participate.

It also vowed strong accountability for those who concealed, underreported or delayed the reporting of infection cases, adding information on epidemic control and prevention will be made public in a timely manner.

China will step up cooperation with the World Health Organization as well as communication and operation with relevant countries during the epidemic control process, the statement said.

The Chinese mainland has reported 1,975 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, including 56 dead and 324 in critical condition, in all provincial-level regions except the Tibet autonomous region as of yesterday.