China takes new steps to help revive coronavirus-hit economy

Authorities say assistance will be targeted at smaller businesses in the outbreak’s epicentre

Medical priority is to separate Covid-19 patients from those with seasonal flu, top infectious disease expert says

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A major priority now is to ensure that seasonal influenza patients are separated from coronavirus patients, according to a top Chinese infectious disease expert. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 11:39pm, 18 Feb 2020Updated: 2:43pm, 19 Feb 2020

China’s State Council, the country’s cabinet, has announced new steps to boost the economy as it tries to weather the battering of the coronavirus outbreak.

The announcement on Tuesday came as one of the country’s top respiratory disease experts warned that a top priority in the health crisis now was to help people at the epicentre separate infected patients from people who were only suffering from the seasonal flu.

Most of the State Council’s new measures would be in the form of temporary cuts to business levies, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses in Hubei province, where the outbreak started.

The State Council also will increase subsidies for pig farmers, and the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) will introduce low-interest loans and rent cuts for businesses hit by the outbreak.

In addition, a special task force under the State Council to combat the outbreak has issued a new directive ordering local officials to take a flexible approach in both controlling the disease and keeping the economy on the right track.

“All localities must follow the relevant laws and regulations and carry out dynamic analysis of the situation,” state news agency Xinhua quoted the directive as saying.