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

— The People's Bank of China said on March 5 that more than 7 million payment transactions related to the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic had been handled through its payment and clearing system, involving an aggregate amount of 6 trillion yuan (about $865 billion) as of March 2.

— Procuratorial organs across China had prosecuted 1,144 suspects on charges over 962 cases related to the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic by March 3, according to the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

— Chinese doctors have proved for the first time that the novel coronavirus can cause damage to patients' central nervous system. Doctors from Beijing Ditan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, a designated institution treating COVID-19, announced on March 5 that they have cured a male patient whose cerebrospinal fluid had the virus.

Liu Jingyuan, ICU director of the hospital and attending doctor of the patient, said that once a COVID-19 patient is found to have disorders of consciousness, medical staff should consider the possibility of nervous system infections and carry out cerebrospinal fluid tests in time, to avoid delayed diagnosis and further reduce the mortality rate of critically ill patients.

— Foxconn is gradually resuming production capacity at its major manufacturing base in Zhengzhou, Central China's Henan province. Its production in the Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone had been slowed due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in January, affecting the international supply chain.

— Chinese health authority said on March 5 it received reports of 139 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 31 deaths on March 4 on the Chinese mainland.

All the deaths were in Hubei province, according to the National Health Commission.

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

— A total of 2,189 patients of the novel coronavirus were discharged from hospital after recovery on March 4 on the Chinese mainland, the National Health Commission said on March 5. 

In total, 52,045 patients had been discharged from hospital by the end of March 4, the commission said in its daily report.

— Hubei province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, reported 134 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 31 new deaths on March 4, the provincial health commission said on March 5. 

The latest report brought the total confirmed cases in the hard-hit province to 67,466 and that of total deaths to 2,902.

Wuhan, the provincial capital, reported 131 confirmed cases and 23 deaths on March 4. In total, the city has registered 49,671 confirmed cases and 2,305 deaths.