• The overall confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland had reached 37,198 by the end of February 8. A total of 811 people had died of novel coronavirus infection, and altogether 2,649 people had been discharged from hospital after recovery.

• Contact transmission and droplet transmission are the main transmission routes of the novel coronavirus, and transmission via aerosol or fecal-oral routes needs to be further clarified.

• The newly-built makeshift hospital-Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan received the first batch of patients infected with novel coronavirus pneumonia Saturday.

• As of Saturday midnight, Chongqing had reported a total of 446 confirmed cases with 29 severe cases, 20 critical cases, two deaths, and 39 discharged patients.

• Closed-off management has been adopted for all residential communities in Chongqing to prevent and control the epidemic.

Chongqing has asked all residential communities in the municipality to adopt closed-off management for epidemic prevention and control starting from February 7, 2020. (Photo by Gan Xiayi)

Chongqing - As of 24:00 local time on February 8, Chongqing had reported a total of 446 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), according to the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission Sunday. There are 29 severe cases, 20 critical cases, two deaths, and 39 discharged patients.

A total of 14,765 people who had close contacts with NCP patients have been traced, 8,073 people have been released from medical observations, and 6,692 people are under medical observation.

Closed-off management of all residential communities in Chongqing 

According to Saturday’s press conference, Chongqing has asked all residential communities in the municipality to adopt closed-off management for epidemic prevention and control starting from February 7. Currently, most districts and counties have implemented it.

The decision made by the leading municipal group for NCP prevention and control is based on a severe and complicated situation.

New confirmed cases of NCP have shifted from imported cases to local infections, mainly caused by family gatherings. Previous statistics showed that 65 clustered outbreaks affected 29 districts and counties and involved 197 cases, accounting for about 50% of the total number of Chongqing. Each clustered outbreak involved an average of 3.03 cases, with family gatherings accounting for about 89%. Experts have called for avoiding crowds and gathering as one of the most effective measures for epidemic prevention and control.

All residential communities were asked to strictly check the body temperature of persons entering and leaving, manage and control all visitors and vehicles, and enhance quarantined people at home.

China’s National Health Commission said Saturday that the overall confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland had reached 37,198 by the end of Saturday, noting that a total of 811 people had died of the disease and that altogether 2,649 people had been discharged from hospital after recovery.

Feng Luzhao, a researcher at the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, answered that currently, there is no evidence that novel coronaviruses are transmitted via aerosol. Contact transmission and respiratory droplet transmission are the main transmission routes of the novel coronavirus, and transmission through aerosol or fecal-oral routes needs to be further clarified, according to Q&As on the official website of the National Health Commission Saturday.

The newly-built makeshift hospital- Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, received the first batch of patients infected with the virus Saturday, according to local authorities. The first batch of patients was transferred to Huoshenshan Hospital on February 4 after a 10-day construction.