China's civil affairs authorities have taken a range of measures to help disadvantaged groups overcome the difficulties brought by the coronavirus epidemic.

The elderly, orphans and disabled people living in civil affairs service institutions are facing more difficulties than ordinary people in epidemic prevention and control, Vice Minister of Civil Affairs Zhan Chengfu said at a press conference Monday.

There are 45,239 elderly care institutions, child welfare institutions, mental health welfare institutions and relief and management institutions for vagrants and beggars under the administration of civil affairs agencies in China, which accommodate a total of more than 2.15 million people.

The main battlefield of epidemic prevention and control in the above-mentioned institutions has been in the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, he said. "All these institutions have implemented closed-off management, with all those in care undergone nucleic acid tests, all suspected cases isolated and all confirmed patients hospitalized."

The ministry has issued a series of guidelines to guide these institutions nationwide in epidemic prevention and control, Zhan said, adding that 118 professionals in elderly care had been sent to Wuhan to help nursing homes.

In the meantime, the epidemic has also led to changes in the situation of disadvantaged people outside such institutions, said Liu Xitang, another official with the ministry.

Central authorities have demanded efforts to ensure that subsidies be paid to the low-income populations in a timely manner and in full and additional assistance be provided to poor families with members as novel coronavirus cases, among other measures, according to Liu.

The ministry has also asked local civil affairs departments across the country to deal with applications for social assistance through online platforms.

In Wuhan and other severely affected regions, communities were authorized to give temporary assistance to those in need, he said.

Liu noted that local civil affairs departments were asked to set up helplines for the public during the outbreak.