YANGZHOU, Jiangsu, Aug. 15  -- Chinese vice premier Sun Chunlan has stressed strict, scientific, and accurate measures to combat cluster COVID-19 infections.

Sun, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a research tour to the city of Yangzhou in east China's Jiangsu Province, where a resurgence of COVID-19 has caused cluster infections, from Wednesday to Sunday.

Through concerted efforts, Yangzhou has made major progress in curbing the outbreak. Daily new reported cases were declining, and the transmission chain in residential communities has been blocked, an official statement said.

Noting that the epidemic prevention and control in Yangzhou are still at a critical juncture, Sun urged efforts to optimize nucleic acid testing plans for better quality and efficacy, adjust the control measures for residential communities according to the test results, and ensure daily and medical supplies for residents under closed-off management.

Efforts should be made to save every patient at all costs, especially child patients, Sun stressed, calling for better management of the quarantine sites and of those stranded in Yangzhou.

Underlining regular epidemic prevention and control work, Sun urged efforts to strictly enforce the preventive measures against imported infections, particularly at key areas such as border areas and port cities.

She also stressed preventive measures at public venues and strengthening the public health sector.

Yangzhou reported 18 new locally transmitted cases on Saturday, according to the Jiangsu provincial health commission.