• A total of 113,702 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported globally as of 10:00 CET Tuesday, an increase of 4,125 infections from the previous day, among which 4,105 new infections are outside China.

• The overall confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland had reached 80,778 by the end of March 10. A total of 3,158 people had died of COVID-19, and altogether 61,475 people had been discharged from hospital after recovery.

• Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, has closed all of its 16 temporary treatment centers.

• As of the end of Tuesday, Chongqing had reported a total of 576 confirmed cases, with 23 currently hospitalized without any severe case or critical case, six deaths, and 547 discharged patients. Tuesday had no newly confirmed case in Chongqing for the fifteenth consecutive day, and five more patients recovered and released from the hospital.

• Chongqing Leading Group for Prevention and Control of COVID-19 announced on Tuesday to lower its public health emergency response level.
• A total of 6,500 enterprises above designated size in Chongqing have resumed production (including enterprises in continuous operation) as of March 9, reaching an operating rate of 99.8%.

• A Chongqing-based biotechnology company has independently developed a novel coronavirus nucleic acid detection kit (PCR-fluorescent probe method) and nucleic acid extraction kit (magnetic bead method), and both successfully have obtained the EU CE certification.

Chongqing- As of 24:00 local time on March 10, Chongqing had reported 23 confirmed cases currently hospitalized without any severe case or critical case, six deaths, and 547 discharged patients after recovery, according to the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission Wednesday. All those cases totaled 576 confirmed cases infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as of the end of Tuesday in Chongqing.

Tuesday had no newly confirmed case in Chongqing for the fifteenth consecutive day, and five more patients recovered and released from the hospital. A total of 23,680 people who had close contacts with COVID-19 patients have been traced, 23,577 people have been released from medical observation, and 103 people are under medical observation.

Chongqing lowers its emergency response level

Chongqing Leading Group for Prevention and Control of COVID-19 announced on Tuesday to lower its public health emergency response level from the highest Level 1 to Level 2. As of 24:00 on March 9, 2020, there have been no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the municipality for 14 consecutive days. Based on that, the leading group decided to adjust the level 1 public health emergency response from 24:00 on March 10.

According to Tuesday’s press conference on COVID-19 prevention and control, more than 110,000 people were tested for nucleic acids in Chongqing, and gene sequencing was performed on 24 patient samples to obtain the complete genome sequence of eight strains, which are highly homologous to the virus prevalent in Wuhan. It indicates that there is now a significant mutation of the virus in Chongqing. Chongqing has effectively blocked the transmission by strengthening the tracking and management of close contacts. In response to community cases and family transmission, the trajectories of confirmed infections have been timely announced, and generally, centralized medical observation of close contacts has been carried out. 

According to the Chongqing Economy and Informatization Commission, a total of 6,500 enterprises above designated size have resumed production (including enterprises in continuous operation) as of March 9, reaching an operating rate of 99.8%. The number of employers coming back to work totaled 1.319 million, with a work-returning rate of 93%. At the same time, over 96% of the eight primary industries in Chongqing are now in operation. Furthermore, the automotive and electronics sectors are in full-scale production.

Chongqing-made novel coronavirus nucleic acid kits obtain the EU CE certification

The Chongqing-based company of Zybio Inc. has independently developed a SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection kit (PCR-fluorescent probe method) and nucleic acid extraction kit (magnetic bead method), and both successfully have obtained the European Union CE certification. It means that the nucleic acid kit products can abroad and enter the EU markets for sales.

“We have proposed an overall plan for the clinical testing of the novel coronavirus, together with the virus nucleic acid extraction kit and automated nucleic acid extraction equipment,” said a relevant person in charge of Zybio Inc.  Under this plan, from the sample to the nucleic acid extraction, detection, and the result, it only takes one hour, and one person, one machine to complete the test of 1,000 tests within 12 hours. In the absence of professional technicians, instruments, and laboratories in many epidemic areas, it will help achieve quick detection of large-scale sample batches.

In addition, the novel coronavirus nucleic acid detection kit has also entered the emergency approval channel of the National Medical Products Administration. The virus nucleic acid extraction kit and automated nucleic acid extraction equipment have previously obtained registration certificates and sent to medical institutions nationwide for use.

Wuhan closes its 16 temporary treatment centers 

Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, has closed all of its 16 temporary treatment centers as the number of COVID-19 patients continues to drop in the city. The Wuchang treatment center, the last one of its kind converted from public venues such as exhibition centers and gymnasiums, shut down on Tuesday.

The overall confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland had reached 80,778 by the end of Tuesday, and 3,158 people had died of the disease, according to the National Health Commission Wednesday. A total of 61,475 people had been discharged from the hospital after recovery. By the end of Tuesday, 120 confirmed cases, including three deaths, had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), ten confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 47 in Taiwan, including one death. A total of 65 patients in Hong Kong, 10 in Macao, and 17 in Taiwan had been discharged from the hospital after recovery.

A total of 113,702 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported globally as of 10:00 CET Tuesday, an increase of 4,125 infections from the previous day, among which 4,105 new infections are outside China, according to a daily report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) Tuesday evening.

At the media briefing on COVID-19 on Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “Now that the virus has a foothold in so many countries, the threat of a pandemic has become very real. But it would be the first pandemic in history that could be controlled.” The WHO chief added, “The great advantage we have is that the decisions we all make – as governments, businesses, communities, families, and individuals – can influence the trajectory of this epidemic.”