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

— Chinese health authority said on March 9 it received reports of 40 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 22 deaths on March 8 on the Chinese mainland. Among the deaths, 21 were in Hubei province and one in Guangdong province.

— The Chinese mainland on March 8 reported four new imported cases of the novel coronavirus disease, bringing the total number of imported cases to 67. All of the four cases were reported in Northwest China's Gansu province.

— No new indigenous cases outside Hubei were reported over the weekend.

— A total of 1,535 patients of the novel coronavirus disease were discharged from hospital after recovery on March 8 on the Chinese mainland. In total, 58,600 patients had been discharged from hospital by the end of March 8.

— Hubei province reported 36 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 21 deaths on March 8. All the new infections were in Wuhan, the provincial capital and epicenter of the outbreak.

The latest report brought the total confirmed cases in the hard-hit province to 67,743.

— As of March 8, 53 community workers had died in the line of duty in China's prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic.

— Chinese charities and Red Cross societies had received donations of around 29.29 billion yuan (about $4.23 billion) and 522 million items of supplies for the fight against the novel coronavirus by the end of March 8.

— Wuhan on March 9 suspended another public-facility-turned temporary hospital as the number of COVID-19 patients continued to drop in the city, bringing the number of closed temporary hospitals to 14.

— A total of 118 professionals specializing in elderly care were sent from three other provinces, and the other 50 were sent from other cities of Hubei province to Wuhan for one-on-one support.

— A range of measures have been taken to help disadvantaged groups of the elderly, orphans and disabled people living in civil affairs service institutions overcome the difficulties brought by the coronavirus epidemic.

— Long-term care facilities in Wuhan have tested all residents for the virus and hospitalized those confirmed with infections.