The number of new coronavirus cases in Chinafell on Sunday and a health official said intense efforts to stop its spreadwere beginning to work, as another 70 people tested positive on avirus-stricken cruise ship quarantined in Japan.
The coronavirus, thought to have emerged at a wildlife market inthe central Chinese province of Hubei, has presented the ruling CommunistParty with the huge challenge of stamping it out while at the same timeminimizing damage to the world's second-largest economy.
China's latest figures showed 68,500 cases of the illness and1,665 deaths, most of them in Hubei.
The National Health Commission reported on Sunday 2,009new cases, down from 2,641 the previous day, and 142 new deaths, just one lowerthan the 143 on the previous day. All but four of the new deaths were in Hubei.
The province and its capital, Wuhan, have been virtually sealedoff and locked down since Jan. 23, with schools, offices and factories shut andmost travel suspended.
The virus is believed to have an incubation period of 14 dayswhich would appear to indicate it has been spreading since the lockdown wasimposed. But health commission spokesman Mi Feng said the campaign wasbeginning to show results.
"The effect of the coronavirus controls is appearing," Mi toldreporters.
Increased medical support and preventive measures in Hubei hadheaded off more critical cases and the proportion of critical cases amongconfirmed cases had fallen to 21.6% on Saturday, from 32.4% on Jan. 27, Misaid.
Mild cases were also being treated more quickly, preventing themfrom becoming critical, Mi said.
Nevertheless, restrictions were tightened in Hubei on Sundaywith a ban on vehicles, apart from essential services, and companies told tostay shut until further notice.
