China is at a crucial time to prevent and control the novel coronavirus outbreak, a senior health official said Sunday. 

Medical staff work in the emergency room of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University in Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province, Jan. 25, 2020. (Photo: Xinhua)

Ma Xiaowei, director of the National Health Commission, said at a press conference that the one-week Lunar New Year holiday is the best time to allow massive isolation and disinfection to take effect.