For enterprises that cause the spread of the novel coronavirus or create the risk of spreading it after resuming production, fewer arrests and careful prosecution should be made as long as the enterprises have enforced epidemic prevention or control measures, according to a directive published on Wednesday.

The directive that aims to provide guarantees for work and production consumption in accordance with the law during the COVID-19 prevention and control period was jointly released by the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Justice.

Securities will be provided to government-organized transport to help migrant workers to return to work. For enterprises that are unable to resume production due to judicial investigations, legal organizations will work with each other to choose the implantation measures that have the least impact on the production of enterprises, the directive said.

The production and sale of fake and inferior medicine for the novel coronavirus as well as the activities of hoarding and driving up prices of protective equipment and medicine will also be targeted, it added.