Here are the latest developments on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in China:
— The National Health Commission said on March 16 it received reports of 16 newly confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 14 deaths on the Chinese mainland on March 15. All of the deaths were in Hubei province.
Meanwhile, 41 newly-added suspected cases were reported and 838 people were discharged from hospital after recovery.
The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 80,860 by the end of March 15.
— The Chinese mainland reported 12 newly imported cases of the COVID-19 on March 15, bringing the total number of imported cases to 123, according to the National Health Commission.
Of the 12 newly imported cases, four were reported in Beijing, four in Guangdong province, two in Shanghai, and one in Yunnan and Gansu provinces respectively.
— Central China's Hubei province reported four newly confirmed cases of the COVID-19 and 14 deaths on March 15, the provincial health commission said on March 16.
All of the newly confirmed cases were reported in Wuhan, the provincial capital and epicenter of the outbreak.
The latest report brought the total confirmed COVID-19 cases in the hard-hit province to 67,798.
As of March 15, Hubei had seen no newly confirmed COVID-19 cases for 11 consecutive days in its 16 cities and prefectures outside Wuhan. The city of Wuhan has also seen single-digit daily increases for five days.
— Zheng Yun, deputy head of the Wuhan municipal health commission, said on March 15 although the city has seen single-digit daily increases of new infections for four days, there is still a certain risk of infection in communities based on epidemiological investigation and analysis as well as the law of infectious disease transmission.
