Staff members record residents' reservation information of masks inside a residential area of east China's Shanghai, Feb. 2, 2020. Various measures have been taken for epidemic prevention efforts across China. (Xinhua/Gao Feng)

The Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) put up a notice on Tuesday calling for expanded imports of medical goods and necessities of life to tackle the novel coronavirus. 

The ministry said the move is aimed at ensuring domestic supplies, in response to the call made by the Party's Central Committee and the State Council, China's cabinet, for containment of the virus, per a statement on MOFCOM's website.

Commerce authorities at all levels are required to understand the importance of expanding imports for the virus to be reined in, said the ministry, calling for efforts to increase purchases of medical items and raw materials for manufacturing, as well as to turn to imports to increase domestic supplies of farm produce such as meat.

Vowing to resolutely battle against the disease, the ministry revealed it will work with relevant commerce chambers and associations to ensure information disclosure for relevant overseas suppliers and domestic exporters. Information about 51 suppliers or supply conduits for medical materials from 14 countries and regions has been provided to local commerce authorities. The ministry didn't name the suppliers or the countries and regions they come from.

The announcement was part of wide-ranging efforts on Tuesday to deal with the spreading virus. According to the National Health Commission, there were 20,438 confirmed infections as of Monday plus 23,214 suspected cases in the mainland. The disease had claimed 425 lives by Monday, outnumbering the death toll from SARS domestically. 

The central government also announced on Tuesday it would send an additional 2,000 medical staff to support Central China's Hubei Province to ensure patient treatment in the epicenter of the virus.

In addition to the moves envisioned to ensure supplies of goods and medical professionals, the nation also upped the ante in its support for the money market to maintain ample liquidity.

The People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, on Tuesday injected an additional 500 billion yuan ($71.46 billion) via a reverse repo operation, following its 1.2 trillion yuan injection on Monday, its largest single-day addition since 2004.

Global Times