Globalsecurity.org

Tigerair Taiwan, a subsidiary of Taiwan's China Airlines, will cancel some of its flights to Macau next month following the outbreak of a new form of coronavirus in the Chinese city of Wuhan and its spread to other countries.

More than 30,000 surgical face masks found in 123 postal packages bound for overseas have been seized by authorities in a single day, the Aviation Police Bureau said Friday.

The Department of Defense has issued guidance to personnel aimed at reducing the potential threat of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

The Defense Department is working with other government agencies in responding to the coronavirus outbreak.

Although the risk of contracting the new coronavirus virus is low, Centers for Disease Control officials said, they recommend getting an influenza vaccine and taking everyday preventive actions to help stop the spread of germs.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Thursday (local time) in Geneva the novel coronavirus outbreak a global public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), putting pressure on China amid the deadly virus battle, as more countries are likely to issue travel advisories and impose trade restrictions.

The US warning against traveling to China due to the novel coronavirus spread is an overreaction, which would greatly hurt global tourism and hinder people-to-people exchanges, Chinese experts say.

Thousands of medical personnel from across China have been rushing to Hubei, bringing medical supplies, as the extreme shortage of medical supplies has been haunting the epicenter of the novel coronavirus in the country.

Shanghai residents have to register to buy medical masks starting Sunday to alleviate the city's current shortage of masks during the fight against novel coronavirus, a local government spokesperson said Friday.

The Organization Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has allocated 108 million yuan (about 15.57 million US dollars) to prevent and control the novel coronavirus epidemic.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday stressed speeding up the development of vaccine and medicine against pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus.

Customs departments nationwide have received over 16,000 batches of supplies from overseas, among which were a total of 56.228 million masks, to help fight against the spread of the novel coronavirus in China.

More than 70 new medical facilities have joined in the battle against the novel coronavirus epidemic in the rural areas of central China's Hubei Province.

Central China's Hubei Province reported 1,220 new confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus and 42 new deaths on Thursday, local health authorities said Friday.

The central, provincial, city and county emergency anti-epidemic headquarters, which were established under the unified guidance of the Non-permanent Central Public Health Guidance Committee of the DPRK, have pushed ahead with the campaign to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

China has full confidence and capability to win the fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Friday.

Takeshi Kasai, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Western Pacific, praised China for focusing its efforts on how to bring the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak under control.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government is working with mainland authorities for a supply of more than 24 million face masks in an effort to ease local shortage of protective gear in the fight against spread of the novel coronavirus.

Beijing subway authorities on Friday said they have launched temperature detection measures in all of the city's subway stations.

As of Jan.30, major aspects of construction work pertaining to the Huoshenshan hospital have been completed. The assembly work related to the hospital wards is now underway, while the construction of pipe systems is now 60 percent complete.