BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- China has stepped up efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Here are the latest developments:
-- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has stressed further efforts to resume work and ensure supply of medical and daily necessities amid the country's all-out battle against the coronavirus epidemic.
-- The number of designated hospitals has increased to more than 40 in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, which has 12,000 hospital beds in designated hospitals as well as the two makeshift hospitals, Huoshenshan and Leishenshan, all will be used for the treatment of infected patients in severe and critical conditions.
The city has so far activated seven temporary hospitals converted from gyms and exhibition centers, which currently have 4,966 medical workers and 3,972 patients.
-- From Jan. 24 to Feb. 11, a total of 870 million items of epidemic prevention and control goods worth 2.84 billion yuan (about 405.7 million U.S. dollars) have been cleared, the General Administration of Customs said Wednesday.
-- Chinese health authorities Wednesday called for establishing and improving coordination mechanisms between traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases including the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pneumonia.
-- China's banks had provided over 349 billion yuan (about 50.06 billion U.S. dollars) of credit support as of Tuesday noon to help companies restore production amid the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak.
-- China's education authorities said on Wednesday they will offer more help to the college graduates in job hunting amid the economic downturn and the novel coronavirus outbreak. A total of 8.74 million students are expected to graduate from college this year, 400,000 more than last year.
-- Police departments across China are required to push for the exemption of public parking fees to ensure smooth traffic as the country fights against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, according to a recent circular issued by the Ministry of Public Security.
-- A total of 4,740 patients infected with the novel coronavirus had been discharged from hospital after recovery by the end of Tuesday.
The proportion of patients who recovered from the novel coronavirus pneumonia in China had increased to 10.6 percent Tuesday from the lowest 1.3 percent on Jan. 27.
The only patient infected with the novel coronavirus in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region was discharged from hospital after an 18-day treatment Wednesday afternoon.
-- China's National Health Commission said on Wednesday that it received reports of 2,015 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 97 deaths on Tuesday from 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. By the end of Tuesday, a total of 1,113 people had died of the disease and 44,653 confirmed cases had been reported on the Chinese mainland.
The number of daily new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection fell from a peak of 3,887 on Feb. 4 to 2,015 on Tuesday, with a decrease of 48.2 percent.
-- Hubei reported 1,638 new confirmed injection cases and 94 new deaths on Tuesday. Wuhan reported 1,104 new infections and 72 new deaths.
-- Replicating Beijing's SARS treatment model in 2003, Huoshenshan (Fire God Mountain) Hospital, a 1,000-bed hospital built in 10 days in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus, has received 925 patients as of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
-- The city of Huanggang, one of the hardest-hit cities in Hubei, had identified 13,000 feverish individuals during a screening campaign that covered communities, public spaces, road checkpoints as well as enterprises and public institutions. Everyone with a fever has been quarantined and put under observation in hospitals.
-- Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan said the epidemic peak should appear in mid-to-late February, but the inflection point is still undetermined.
-- Hubei Province has fired or disciplined a group of officials for breaching work disciplines and shirking responsibilities in the fight against the epidemic.
-- China's air transport market registered negative growth in January due to the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
-- The Ministry of Commerce released a circular to arrange for the steady supply of daily necessities in key cities to win the battle against the new virus. Supply of daily necessities include rice, flour, cooking oil, meat, eggs, dairy products, vegetables and instant food.
-- China's Ministry of Justice has set up an online platform to offer legal consultation services for the public in an effort to promote orderly and law-based prevention and control of the epidemic.
-- Chinese students will be able to attend classes online or study via television as schools postpone the start of new semester due to the virus outbreak.
-- Chinese authorities called for improved humanistic care and a safer working environment for medical staff at the frontline against the COVID-19, as well as stronger publicity for deeds of outstanding figures among medical personnel. They demanded financial subsidies be provided to frontline medical staff and epidemic prevention workers, and easy access to identify occupational injuries for medical personnel.
