Ministry: China 'actively tackling' new virus in careful way

China has been actively tackling the pneumonia caused by a new strain of coronavirus in a serious, careful and professional manner since it was first reported, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday.

The country has formulated strict plans to prevent and control the disease, spared no efforts in treating patients, and managed well people who have had close contacts with those who caught the virus, he said, adding that China has lost no time in sharing the DNA sequences of the virus with the World Health Organization.

It has also informed the WHO, organizations in relevant countries and regions, as well as the regions of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan about the disease in time, and has been in close communications with them, Geng said.

Wuhan has taken measures to manage and control people who are leaving the city, the spokesman said. By now, Japan, Thailand and the Republic of Korea have informed China about diagnosed cases infected with the virus, and China has been working closely with these countries to treat the patients and control the disease, he said.

China welcomes countries to inform it promptly through official channels if they have detected any suspected imported cases, he added.