China can 'win the battle' against coronavirus epidemic: President Xi Jinping
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The number of confirmed cases in China stands at 1,287. The virus has also been detected in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Nepal, and the United States.
China can "win the battle" against the coronavirus that has killed 41 people and has infected over 1,200 across the country, President Xi Jinping said on Saturday.
"As long as we have steadfast confidence, work together, scientific prevention and cures, and precise policies, we will definitely be able to win the battle," President Xi told a meeting of the elite Politburo Standing Committee, according to local media reports.
The country is facing a "grave situation" where the coronavirus is "accelerating its spread," Xi also said during the meeting on measures to fight the outbreak.
The number of confirmed cases in China stands at 1,287. The virus has also been detected in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Nepal, and the United States.
There are fears the transmission could accelerate as hundreds of millions of Chinese travel during the Lunar New Year holiday, although many have cancelled their plans.
Airports around the world have stepped up screening of passengers from China, though some health officials and experts have questioned the effectiveness of such screenings.
Hubei province, where authorities are rushing to build a 1,000-bed hospital in six days to treat patients, announced on Saturday that there were 658 patients affected by the virus in treatment, 57 of whom were critically ill.
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Shanghai Disneyland was closed from Saturday. Beijing's Lama Temple, where people traditionally make offerings for the new year, has also closed, as have some other temples.
Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, the executive leader declared the virus outbreak as an emergency.
Under the measures Lam took to limit the infection spreading, all schools will remain closed until February 17; while all official visits to mainland China have also been cancelled.
(With inputs from agencies)