China’s top leadership on Tuesday acknowledged “shortcomings and deficiencies” in the country’s response to the Coronavirus outbreak. The virus has killed 427 people and infected more than 20,000 individuals worldwide, with the grand majority of the cases in mainland China.

"In response to the shortcomings and deficiencies... we must improve our national emergency management system and improve our abilities in handling urgent and dangerous tasks," a report from China’s Politburo Standing Committee said. The Committee is composed of the top leadership of China’s Communist Party.

"It is necessary to strengthen market supervision, resolutely ban and severely crack down on illegal wildlife markets and trade," the report continued.

The Coronavirus originated at an animal and seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, and has spread across the country. Millions of Chinese are on lockdown, staying inside their homes, in order to stop the outbreak.

Residents of Wuhan have criticized the Chinese government on social media, accusing authorities of downplaying the severity of the outbreak. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Beijing of withholding information and underreporting cases of infection.

“The coronavirus outbreak requires a swift and comprehensive response that respects human rights,” Yaqiu Wang, a China researcher at HRW said. “Authorities should recognize that censorship only fuels public distrust, and instead encourage civil society engagement and media reporting on this public health crisis.”

The virus has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization. The outbreak has also paralyzed the Chinese economy, disrupting factory work and causing the country’s demand for oil to drop.

International tech companies, such as Apple and Google, have closed their offices in mainland China during the outbreak. Major airlines, such as Delta Airlines and British Airways, have suspended their flights to China.

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