China on Saturday rolled out a guideline to ramp up COVID-19 control efforts in rural areas to tackle mounting challenges caused by increasing population movement during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday.

According to the document released by the State Council's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism and the Office of the Central Leading Group for Rural Work, comprehensive measures should be dedicated into ensuring the operation of anti-virus systems in the countryside, ensuring drug supplies, treatment of severe cases and protection of the elderly and children.

In the meantime, management of key vulnerable groups should be stepped up and medical demands should be addressed in an orderly manner. Triaged treatment protocols should be enforced, said the guideline.

China has shifted the focus of its COVID-19 control strategy to protecting health and preventing serious infections.

The guideline also requires county and township-level clinics to improve capabilities in receiving and treating infected cases and ensure that most are equipped with a fever facility.

Supplies of medications and antigen tests to rural regions should also be stepped up, it added.