Beijing reports 11 new coronavirus cases, bringing total to 91

Beijing reported 11 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Tuesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the capital to 91, with the first death reported last night, according to the city's municipal health commission.

Among the new cases, five people had a connection with Central China's Hubei province and seven had close contact with previously confirmed cases. All had been sent to the city's designated hospitals for further treatment, the Beijing Municipal Health Commission said on Tuesday.

By 12 pm on Tuesday, the capital city had confirmed 91 coronavirus cases. Among them, 21 people are in Haidian district, 17 are from Chaoyang district, and 11 patients are recent visitors to Beijing.

The commission also reported one death last night, the first from the novel coronavirus in the capital, a 50-year-old man who had traveled to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, in January.

Government agencies and organs at different levels in Beijing have geared up to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus. For example, workers in Beijing can use flexible hours and off-peak commutes and conduct business through telephones and the internet to reduce secondary infections.

Regular sanitation and disinfection also should be applied in hotels and restaurants, as well as public transport stations in the city. The density and scale of the population in crowded places of the capital also should be contained, with body temperature taken in public spaces, according to the Beijing municipal government.