A total of 444 cases of new coronavirus-related pneumonia and 17 deaths had been reported in central China’s Hubei Province as of 8 p.m. Wednesday, according to local authorities.

Among the confirmed cases, 399 patients are receiving treatment in hospitals, with 71 in severe condition and 24 in critical condition, said Yang Yunyan, deputy governor of the province, at a local press conference. A total of 2,556 close contacts had been placed under medical observation, with 863 people released.

The Hubei provincial government has activated a level II public health emergency response, the second-highest in the country. A headquarters headed by Mayor Zhou Xianwang has also been established in the provincial capital of Wuhan for the control and treatment of the pneumonia.(Xinhua)…[+]