BEIJING — China has stepped up efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Here are the latest developments:

— The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has taken multiple measures to prioritize supporting the areas hit hard by the novel coronavirus and the enterprises involved in the fight against the virus, a senior official with the CSRC said on Feb 15.

— China allocated on Feb 14 8 billion yuan ($1.15 billion), the second batch of subsidies in the nationwide battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to the Ministry of Finance.

— Chinese experts have called upon cured patients who were infected with COVID-19 to donate plasma at hospitals as neutralizing antibodies have been identified in the plasma of some patients.

— A total of 217 medical teams with 25,633 medical workers had been sent to Hubei to help combat the COVID-19 as of Feb 14. Of the medical workers, 20,374 are now working in Wuhan.

Three mobile P3 laboratories were also dispatched to the epicenter for epidemic control.

— Up to 30 to 39 percent of patients of the COVID-19 have been discharged from two of Wuhan's hospitals that take in severe patients, including the Jinyintan Hospital.

— Nine temporary hospitals with more than 6,960 beds have opened in Hubei, with 5,606 patients infected with the novel coronavirus who are receiving treatment in these hospitals currently.

— The number of daily new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection outside Hubei have been dropping for 10 consecutive days, from nearly 900 on Feb 3 to below 300 on Feb 13.

Eight provincial-level regions, including Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Jilin, Tibet and Xinjiang reported less than five new confirmed cases in three consecutive days.

— China reports 2,641 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 143 deaths on Feb 14 from 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

By the end of Feb 14, a total of 1,523 people had died of the disease and 66,492 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection had been reported on the Chinese mainland.

— A total of 8,096 patients infected with the novel coronavirus had been discharged from hospital after recovery by the end of Feb 14. China saw 1,373 people walk out of hospital after recovery on Feb 14.

— Hubei province, center of the novel coronavirus outbreak, reported 2,420 new confirmed cases and 139 new deaths on Feb 14. The figure of new cases included 1,138 clinically diagnosed cases, while the new deaths also included 34 who were clinically diagnosed.

Wuhan, the provincial capital, recorded a total of 37,914 confirmed cases, including 14,953 clinically diagnosed ones. The city reported 1,923 new infections and 107 new deaths on Feb 14.

— Henan reported two new deaths, and Beijing and Chongqing reported one new death, respectively, on Feb 14.

— The city of Xiaogan, one of the hardest-hit cities in Hubei, asked all residential communities and areas to start close-off management starting Feb 14 afternoon. All residents will not be allowed to exit and re-enter their communities or residential areas. Daily necessities for residents will be delivered by the community committees, and purchasing services will be provided for urgently-needed goods.

— Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) universities and hospitals across China have sent 2,220 medical workers to Hubei province to help combat the novel coronavirus outbreak.