After inspecting medical facilities and coronavirus prevention centers in Beijing and other major cities, Chinese President Xi Jinping, said Monday, Feb. 10, that his government and people will overcome the outbreak caused by the new virus.

Wearing a mask, Xi visited a residential community, a hospital and a district center for disease control and prevention in Beijing.

The inspection came at a time when many Chinese workers outside the epidemic center of Hubei Province resumed work after an extended New Year holiday.

Xi said the situation at the moment remains very serious, but expressed confidence that China can certainly obtain a full victory in the fight against the epidemic.

Xi first went to the Anhuali community in Chaoyang District to learn about the prevention and control of the virus spreading at the primary level.

There, he stressed the role of community in effectively containing the spread of the disease.

At Beijing Ditan Hospital, a designated institution treating the novel coronavirus pneumonia, Xi reviewed the treatment of hospitalized patients at the monitoring center and talked to the medical staff on duty via a video link.

Xi called on medical staff to continue to improve diagnosis and treatment procedures in order to save patients at all costs and reminded them to use appropriate protection to ensure that they do not contract the virus.

Xi also spoke with frontline medical workers in three hospitals in Wuhan receiving infected patients through a telemedicine system, encouraging them to resolutely carry on the fight to defend the city, the capital of Hubei.

The Chinese leader expressed his deep condolences for the loss of those who died from the coronavirus pneumonia outbreak and extended sympathy to their bereaved families.

He stressed that the entire government and party, along with the armed forces and people of all ethnic groups in China, should stand together with the people of Hubei and Wuhan.

“Wuhan is a heroic city, and the people of Hubei and Wuhan are heroic people who have never been crushed by any difficulty and danger throughout history,” Xi said, speaking to officials fighting the epidemic in Hubei in a video-conference.

Noting that Hubei and Wuhan are the top priority for epidemic prevention and control, Xi called for greater efforts in hospital admission, treatment, social management, public communication and unified commanding in the epidemic prevention and control work. He also Called for better care for frontline medical personnel.

After leaving the hospital, Xi went to the center for disease control and prevention of the Chaoyang District.

There, he presided over a meeting and listened to a report on the epidemic prevention and control efforts of Beijing.

At that time, Xi highlighted the urgency of putting in place targeted measures to address the rising risk of the epidemic spread following the post-festival travel season, calling for efforts to work out more effective treatment plans to reduce the rates of infection and mortality.

He likewise demanded resolute punishments for illegal activities such as price gouging.

Xi stressed that the fundamentals of China’s long-term economic development remain unchanged and the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak on the Chinese economy will be short-lived.

The Chinese leader called for greater efforts to minimize the impact of the epidemic on the economy in order to be able for China to reach its goals and tasks of economic and social development this year.

He said that close attention must be paid to employment and large-scale layoffs should be avoided.

Over the past few weeks, Xi has called multiple meetings, heard reports, made important instructions on the prevention and control of the virus, and discussed the topic with foreign leaders around the globe.

Throughout the health crisis, Xi has made it clear that people’s lives and health are the Chinese government’s top priority.

Under Xi’s guidance, China has carried out a national mobilization, across-the-board deployment and swift responses, adopting comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures and launching a people’s war against the virus.

According to statistics provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), the outbreak has affected about two dozens countries outside China, but all with limited cases.

“We would have seen many more cases outside China … if it were not for the (Chinese) government’s efforts and the progress it has made to protect its own people and the people of the world,” said WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesusthe.