Workers speed up the production of protective gowns at Fujian Chunhui Clothing in Fuzhou, Fujian province. (GUO CHEN / JUE GUO / LIN SHANCHUAN / XINHUA)

By ZHANG LEI

Demand for masks and medical supplies has soared in China due to the coronavirus outbreak. The overall confirmed cases in China had reached more than 31,200 as of Friday, China's National Health Commission said.

The People's Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force has been making all-out efforts to purchase materials badly needed in the fight against the ongoing novel coronavirus epidemic.

China is also looking to ratchet up domestic production and speed up the transportation of these supplies to key regions. Meanwhile, imports keep pouring in and the General Administration of Customs has designated special windows and green passages to facilitate the customs clearance of medical supplies.

Special trains loaded with tons of selected agricultural products headed to Hubei province to augment the province's supplies of daily necessities.

Greater efforts are being made to uphold social stability by cracking down on assaults on healthcare workers, illegal price hikes of medical supplies and goods key to people's livelihoods.

The international community has also provided China with urgently needed medical supplies, and stands ready to offer more assistance and work together with China to combat the epidemic.

Staff from Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport unload newly arrived prevention supplies on the tarmac. (CHEN BIN / LIU XIAO / LU BOAN / XINHUA)

The second batch of fruit and vegetable cargo train sets out from Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region to Hubei province. (CHEN BIN / LIU XIAO / LU BOAN / XINHUA)

A CT device donated by a medical equipment company from Zhejiang province is ready to be shipped off to Wuhan. (YUAN YUN / XINHUA)

Couriers register the goods to be delivered, as many choose to stay at home purchasing daily necessities online. (CHEN BIN / LIU XIAO / LU BOAN / XINHUA)