• The overall confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland had reached 78,064 by the end of February 25. A total of 2,715 people had died of COVID-19, and altogether 29,745 people had been discharged from hospital after recovery. Other parts of the Chinese mainland outside Hubei reported five new infections, a single-digit increase consecutive two days since the epidemic outbreak.
• As of the end of Tuesday, Chongqing had reported a total of 576 confirmed cases, with 198 currently hospitalized, with 15 severe cases and seven critical cases, six deaths, and 372 discharged patients. Tuesday had no newly confirmed case, and 23 more patients recovered and discharged from the hospital.
• The 17th Chongqing municipal medical team of 183 members left Tuesday to assist the Hubei Province.
• By February 24, 10,812 industrial enterprises had resumed work, with 739,000 workers, according to Chongqing Economy and Informatization Commission.

Chongqing — As of 24:00 local time on February 25, Chongqing had no newly confirmed cases, and 23 more patients recovered and discharged from the hospital. It reported 198 confirmed cases currently hospitalized, with 15 in severe condition and seven in critical condition, six deaths, and 372 discharged patients after recovery as of the end of Tuesday, according to the Chongqing Municipal Health Commission. 

A total of 576 cases infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and 23,395 people who had close contacts with COVID-19 patients have been traced, 22,571 people have been released from medical observation, and 824 people are under medical observation.

The 17th Chongqing municipal medical team left on Tuesday to assist Xiaogan, Hubei Province.

The 17th Chongqing municipal medical team of 183 members left on Tuesday to assist Xiaogan, Hubei Province。 The team includes 60 doctors, 120 nurses, and three administrators. As of Tuesday, a total of 1,606 members from seventeen medical teams of Chongqing have been fighting against COVID-19 in Hubei.

The epidemic risk level in different districts and counties has been reassessed

On February 26, according to the changes in the current epidemic situation and the classification standards of the epidemic situation in Chongqing, the epidemic prevention and control team decided to adjust the classification levels of some districts and counties.

• Jiangjin District, Yongchuan District, Dazu District, Wansheng District, Liangping District, Dianjiang County, and Fengdu County were added to the low-risk area. Low-risk area means there are no confirmed cases in this area or no new confirmed cases for 14 consecutive days.
• Beibei District was added to the medium-risk area. Medium-risk area means there are new confirmed cases within 14 days in this area, but the cumulative confirmed cases did not exceed 50, or the cumulative confirmed cases exceeded 50, and no clustering outbreaks occurred within 14 days.
• Other districts and counties shall keep their classification levels unchanged.

WHO expert: China has changed the course of COVID-19 outbreak through a pragmatic approach

Bruce Aylward, an epidemiologist who led an advance team from the World Health Organization (WHO).(Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

China has changed the course of COVID-19 outbreak, Bruce Aylward, an epidemiologist who led an advance team from the World Health Organization (WHO), said here on Tuesday, noting a rapidly escalating outbreak in China has plateaued and come down faster than previously expected.

It's a unanimous assessment of the 25-member team which has conducted a nine-day field study trip to China's Beijing, Guangdong, Sichuan, and Hubei stressed Aylward.

Recalling details of the study trip in China, Aylward said he was impressed by China's pragmatic, systemic, and innovative approach to controlling the COVID-19 outbreak.

China has taken a "differentiated approach" for different situations of sporadic cases, clusters of cases, or community transmission, which makes a massive scale of epidemic control work without exhausting its response, said Aylward.

Moreover, the WHO expert praised Chinese phenomenal collective action, stressing "it's never easy to get the kind of passion, commitment, interest and individual sense of duty that help stop the virus."

"Every person you talked to (in China) has a sense that they're mobilized like in a war against the virus, and they are organized," said Aylward, who was particularly impressed by thousands of health care workers volunteering to go into Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Aylward pointed out China has also repurposed machinery of government, for example, by forming a central leading group on the epidemic, dispatching a central guiding team, which ensures the prevention and control of the virus.

Aylward was aware that China had issued six versions of national treatment guidelines for COVID-19, representing fast scientific evolvement in the understanding of the new virus.

"It's a science-driven agile response as well at a phenomenal scale," He said.