BEIJING — China has stepped up efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Here are the latest developments:
— A total of 4,740 patients infected with the novel coronavirus had been discharged from hospital after recovery by the end of Feb 11.
The proportion of patients who recovered from the novel coronavirus pneumonia, also named by WHO as COVID-19, in China increased to 10.6 percent on Feb 11 from the lowest 1.3 percent on Jan 27.
The only patient infected with the novel coronavirus in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region was discharged from hospital after an 18-day treatment on the afternoon of Feb 12.
— China's National Health Commission said on Feb 12 that it received reports of 2,015 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 97 deaths on Feb 11 from 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. By the end of Feb 11, a total of 1,113 people had died of the disease and 44,653 confirmed cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland.
The number of daily new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection fell from a peak of 3,887 on Feb 4 to 2,015 on Feb 11, with a decrease of 48.2 percent.
— Hubei reported 1,638 new confirmed infection cases and 94 new deaths on Feb 11. Wuhan reported 1,104 new infections and 72 new deaths.
— Replicating Beijing's SARS treatment model in 2003, Huoshenshan (Fire God Mountain) Hospital, a 1,000-bed hospital built in 10 days in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus, has received 925 patients as of 10:30 pm on Feb 11.
— The city of Huanggang, one of the hardest-hit cities in Hubei, had identified 13,000 feverish individuals during a screening campaign that covered communities, public spaces, road checkpoints as well as enterprises and public institutions. Everyone with a fever has been quarantined and put under observation in hospitals.
— Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan said the epidemic peak should appear in mid-to-late February, but the inflection point is still undetermined.
— Hubei province has fired or disciplined a group of officials for breaching work disciplines and shirking responsibilities in the fight against the epidemic.
— China's air transport market registered negative growth in January due to the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
— The Ministry of Commerce released a circular to arrange for the steady supply of daily necessities in key cities to win the battle against the new virus. Supply of daily necessities includes rice, flour, cooking oil, meat, eggs, dairy products, vegetables and instant food.
— China's Ministry of Justice has set up an online platform to offer legal consultation services for the public in an effort to promote orderly and law-based prevention and control of the epidemic.
— Chinese students will be able to attend classes online or study via television as schools postpone the start of new semester due to the virus outbreak.
— Chinese authorities called for improved humanistic care and a safer working environment for medical staff at the frontline against the COVID-19, as well as stronger publicity for deeds of outstanding figures among medical personnel. They demanded financial subsidies be provided to frontline medical staff and epidemic prevention workers, and easy access to identify occupational injuries for medical personnel.
