BEIJING — China has stepped up efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Here are the latest developments:

— China has sped up the testing process of the novel coronavirus infection in Hubei province, which has lowered the number of suspected cases in recent days, experts said.

— Customs offices nationwide have opened special channels to facilitate clearance services for epidemic control materials, offered fast tracks to overseas donations and ensured "zero delays" in customs clearance for imported drugs and medical devices.

— Xiamen Airlines will dispatch nine charter flights from Feb 5 to 10 to the Philippines to bring home about 2,000 Chinese tourists stranded there following the coronavirus outbreak.

— The city of Huanggang, hard-hit by the novel coronavirus in Hubei province, is taking measures to ensure centralized hospitalization and quarantine for patients infected with the virus or with a fever before on Feb 6.

— A baby in China’s epidemic-hit Wuhan, capital of Hubei, has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus just 30 hours after being born. The newborn is believed to be the youngest known patient infected with the virus.

— Chinese developers are working on the research and development of a robot that can replace nurses in conducting throat testing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus.

— Seven patients confirmed to have been infected by the novel coronavirus, including two critical patients and a pregnant woman, were discharged on Feb 5 from a hospital in East China's Zhejiang province after recovering.

— Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, asked all residential communities, villages and enterprises to be managed in a closed way, denying the entry of external personnel and vehicles.

— Beijing has so far adopted 179 thermal monitors in 35 subway stations to check the temperature of all passengers at entrances.

— All schools in Shanghai are required to delay the opening of the 2020 spring semester until the end of February. The resumption date will be confirmed later in accordance with the development of the fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic.

— Wuhan plans to convert another eight existing venues, including gymnasiums, exhibition centers and sports centers, into hospitals to receive patients infected with the novel coronavirus.

— More medical teams are rushing to Hubei to aid novel coronavirus control. A team of 138 medical workers from hospitals in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region flew to Hubei late Feb 4 to join the fight against the epidemic.

— Southwest China's Chongqing municipality has rolled out 20 measures to support small and medium-sized enterprises affected by coronavirus outbreak by reducing their burdens on loans, rent and social security payments.

— The number of new suspected cases of the novel coronavirus infection on the Chinese mainland dropped for the second consecutive day on Feb 4.

— A total of 892 patients infected with the novel coronavirus had been discharged from hospital after recovery by the end of Feb 4.