China’s Hubei to adopt thorough checks on patients to curb virus epidemic: Xinhua

Delivery workers wearing face masks ride scooters, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, in Beijing's central business district, China February 18, 2020. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

(Reuters) – The central Chinese province of Hubei will adopt more thorough and forceful measures to find patients with fever to further help contain the new coronavirus epidemic, the state media reported on Tuesday.

Hubei will check records of all fever patients who have visited doctors since Jan. 20, and people who have bought over-the-counter cough and fever medications at both brick-and-mortar and online drug stores, Xinhua reported, citing a notice by the province’s epidemic control headquarters.

The people will get health check-ups and, if necessary, be put in quarantine or hospitalized, the report added, citing the notice.

China reported on Tuesday its fewest new coronavirus infections since January and its lowest daily death toll for a week, but the World Health Organization said data suggesting the epidemic had slowed should still be viewed with caution.

China said figures showing a slowdown in new cases in recent days show that aggressive steps it has taken to curb travel and commerce are slowing the spread of the disease beyond Hubei and the province’s capital, Wuhan.

(Reporting by Rama Venkat in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)

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