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

— Chinese health authority on March 4 unveiled the latest version of the national diagnosis and treatment plan for COVID-19 which includes the results of autopsies of COVID-19 victims and pathological observation based on needle biopsies.

— China has added the antibody diagnosis method for COVID-19 and its relevant criteria in the country's latest diagnosis and treatment scheme, which also includes warning against transmission of the novel coronavirus via aerosol or contact due to environmental pollution caused by the excrement and urine of patients.

— China's customs had detected 6,728 inbound travelers with illness symptoms as of March 3, among which 779 were suspected of being infected with COVID-19, and an additional 75 were confirmed patients.

— Chinese banks had offered credit support of over 1.25 trillion yuan (about 180.4 billion) as of March 4 to facilitate the resumption of production disrupted by the novel coronavirus epidemic.

— By the end of March 3, the cure rate in the epicenter Wuhan had ascended to 50.2 percent, while the number has reached 76.8 percent in the rest of Hubei province, according to spokesperson Mi Feng for the National Health Commission.

Outside Hubei, China has seen 87.3 percent of the confirmed cases recovering from the disease by March 3, Mi said.

— Over 206,900 volunteers in Shanghai have joined the battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to the Shanghai Association of Volunteers.

— Chinese health authority said on March 4 it received reports of 119 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 38 deaths on March 3 on the Chinese mainland.

Among the deaths, 37 were in Hubei province and one in Inner Mongolia autonomous region, according to the National Health Commission.

Meanwhile, 143 new suspected cases were reported, said the commission.

— A total of 2,652 patients of the novel coronavirus disease were discharged from hospital after recovery on March 3 on the Chinese mainland, the commission said. In total, 49,856 patients had been discharged from hospital by the end of March 3.

By the end of March 3, a total of 80,270 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 had been reported on the mainland, and 2,981 people had died of the disease.

— Hubei province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, reported 115 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 37 deaths on March 3, according to the commission.

The latest report brought the total confirmed cases in the hard-hit province to 67,332.

— Beijing municipality has required people arriving in the city as a destination from countries with serious coronavirus outbreaks to be quarantined for 14 days, local authorities said on March 3.

The rule applies to both Chinese nationals and foreigners who enter the border in the city from countries including the Republic of Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan, said Chen Bei, deputy secretary-general of the municipal government.

— Hubei is expected to gradually shut down temporary hospitals and cut the number of hospitals designated for the disease, local authorities said on March 3.

The province will classify areas based on different risks of infection for management as more cities have seen zero growth in newly confirmed cases, according to Tu Yuanchao, deputy head of the provincial health commission.