Beijing
The Chinese government is fully confident that the novel coronavirus epidemic would be brought under control and defeated as soon as possible, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Monday.
‘At present, the Chinese government is taking resolute and forceful measures to conduct scientific and effective prevention and control of the epidemic, and maintaining close cooperation with the World Health Organization and other international partners,’ she said in a statement issued here. ‘We are fully confident that the outbreak will be brought under control and defeated as soon as possible,’ she added.
According to the latest data provided by the Chinese government, so far there are at least 2,761 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in China and 80 people have died due to the epidemic while 51 have been cured. The pneumonia outbreak was first reported in Wuhan City, central China’s Hubei Province, in December 2019. Experts have attributed the outbreak to a novel coronavirus that has since spread across China and abroad.
Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Wuhan to inspect and guide the efforts to prevent and control the epidemic. He visited patients and medical staff at the Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital. During the visit, he stressed the importance for the medical staff to protect themselves at work, and encouraged them. The Chinese premier also visited the construction site of the new Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital, a specialized hospital for novel coronavirus patients in the western suburbs of Wuhan, and talked to the construction workers.
Wuhan authorities have suspended all exit and entry services for Chinese citizens in the city effective January 26 to 30. The suspension is aimed at preventing and controlling the spread of the new coronavirus infection, said the bureau.
Chinese scientists are conducting research to help provide timely analysis of the epidemic situation and support to formulate targeted strategies for the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak. A research team has been set up by the academicians and experts from the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE). Wang Chen, vice president of CAE and head of the research team, said: ‘In view of the accelerated spread of the novel coronavirus pneumonia, we should understand the rule of its transmission and pathogenesis as soon as possible, which is very important for epidemic prevention and control.’
According to experts, the spread of the virus has not been blocked, the number of cases is rising rapidly and the infectivity seems to be increasing. Some patients of the novel coronavirus pneumonia have mild symptoms and no fever, which makes identifying cases and prevention of transmission very difficult. Wang said China’s scientific and technological departments have started research on the origin and transmission mode of the virus.
