Govt in regular touch with WHO, countries and regions over virus

Chinese mainland has shared the epidemic information of the new pneumonia outbreak with the World Health Organization, relevant countries and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan 15 times, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday.

"We have close contact with WHO and shared the genetic sequence of the new coronavirus as soon as possible, Li Bin, deputy director of the commission, said at a news conference at the State Council Information Office.

Chinese health experts have held four meetings with experts from WHO and the country has invited WHO experts to visit Wuhan, Hubei province, to learn about the situation of the epidemic, he said.

The commission also has close communication with health authorities in Thailand, Japan, South Korea and the United States and their embassies in China, Li said.

"We have shared epidemic information with them and helped confirming suspected and diagnosed cases."

Apart from sharing epidemic information, the commission has invited experts from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to visit medical facilities in Wuhan and offered free diagnostic kits to Hong Kong and Macao, he added.