BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday the government would prevent large-scale layoffs amid the coronavirus outbreak, Chinese state television reported, as he appeared among the public for the first time since the epidemic started. The Chinese leader has largely kept out of the spotlight during the outbreak, while Premier Li Keqiang, who has visited Wuhan city where the epidemic started, has taken the lead in government efforts to end the crisis. Xi inspected efforts by community workers in Beijing to contain the virus, visited a local hospital that offers treatment to coronavirus patients and video-chatted with frontline medical staff in Wuhan. Wearing a surgical mask, Xi had his temperature checked by a community worker and waved to residents in their apartments, according to footage from state broadcaster CCTV. State television reported Xi as saying that China will strive to meet its economic and social targets for the year and make economic adjustments to minimize the impact of the virus.

Source: National Post February 10, 2020 12:22 UTC