EMPTY ROADS. Aerial photo taken on Sunday (Jan. 26, 2020) shows a view of the Optics Valley square complex in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Many residents here have avoided outdoor activities during the Spring Festival holiday in Wuhan, the hardest-hit city of the novel coronavirus outbreak in central China. (Photo courtesy of Xinhua/Xiong Qi)
BEIJING -- All levels of financial departments in China have allocated a total of 11.21 billion yuan (about USD1.63 billion) as of Sunday to curb the spread of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), according to the Ministry of Finance (MOF).
The funds allocated were mainly used for the medical treatment and procurement of medical equipment and epidemic control materials, the MOF said in an online statement.
China will step up efforts to ensure adequate funding support for epidemic prevention and control, it added.
Chinese health authorities announced Monday that 2,744 confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV, including 461 in critical conditions, had been reported in the country by the end of Sunday.
During the past 24 hours, 769 new confirmed cases, 3,806 new suspected cases and 24 deaths in Hubei from the disease were reported, according to the National Health Commission.
By Sunday, the pneumonia situation had resulted in a total of 80 deaths, while 51 people had recovered and 5,794 remained as suspected patients.
A total of 32,799 close contacts have been traced, the commission said, adding that among them, 30,453 were currently under medical observation while 583 others were discharged on Sunday.
In addition, 17 confirmed cases had been reported in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, with eight in Hong Kong, five in Macao, and four in Taiwan.
Overseas, confirmed cases were reported in Thailand (seven), Japan (three), the Republic of Korea (three), the United States (three), Vietnam (two), Singapore (four), Malaysia (three), Nepal (one), France (three), and Australia (four).
The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved four new products for test of new coronavirus Sunday.
The products, including reagent test kits and sequencing system of the virus, are expected to speed up the diagnosis process and further expand the supply capacity of virus detection products.
Meanwhile, the NMPA urged provincial drug regulators to intensify the supervision on production to ensure product safety.
The administration said it will continue implementing special approval procedures for drugs and medical devices to contain the outbreak. (Xinhua)
