Medical materials are unloaded from a plane at the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Jan. 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Min)

BEIJING, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities on Sunday stressed providing greater medical supplies support to central China's Hubei Province, particularly the key regions -- the city of Wuhan and its surrounding areas -- to help curb the epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus.

Authorities in some provinces were urged to flexibly arrange their work for the epidemic battle and step up efforts to prevent and control the novel coronavirus outbreak and ensure market supply, said an official statement issued after a Sunday meeting of the leading group of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who is also head of the leading group, presided over the meeting. ■