Chinese President: The spread of the Coruna virus must be firmly curbed

Chinese President Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that his country will curb the spread of pneumonia caused by a new "Corona" virus.


"The life and health of people should be given the highest priority, and the spread of the disease must be firmly controlled," Chinese state television quoted President Jinping as saying.

According to the TV, China has confirmed a total of 217 cases of the Coronavirus, which was first detected in the central city of Wuhan, Reuters reported.


The memories of an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Asia in 2002 and 2003 are fresh in mind, when they appeared in China and claimed about 800 lives worldwide.

Corona strains are a large family, which can cause infections ranging from common cold to severe acute respiratory infection (SARS).