The Wuhan seafood market, which is at the centre of the pneumonia outbreak, has been closed. (Photo: Handout)

Four people have now been confirmed to have died and 15 medical personnel have been confirmed infected with the new coronavirus in the city of Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, where the disease was first detected. 

Of the 198 people infected by the virus in Wuhan, 25 have been discharged from hospital, while nine are in critical condition, according to the city's health commission. 

Of the 15 infected medical workers in Wuhan, one is in critical condition, the commission said.

The city government has set up a prevention and control command center, and vowed to hold those accountable who fail to carry out their work properly or cause a negative influence. 

The command center has eight working groups that have been assigned to different tasks including emergency support, publicity, transportation, market watch, medical treatment, disease control, community liaison and coordination work. 

The Wuhan government vowed to strengthen checks of people's temperature at transportation centers and management at markets and wild animals, and cancel unnecessary public gatherings. 

Information on the status of the disease must be updated in a  transparent manner to prevent panic, the government said. 

The new coronavirus has been listed as a Group B disease on China's list of infectious diseases, which includes SARS and AIDS. However, the virus will be given the highest priority and handled the same way as those on Group A, which includes the plague and cholera, according to National Health Commission. 

Governments at all levels, health departments, related departments and medical and health institutions should quarantine suspected patients, timely report infection cases, and quarantine close contacts of those who have been infected in order to  prevent a wider outbreak.

President Xi Jinping on Monday called on officials to release information in a timely manner and deepen international cooperation. Suspected and confirmed cases have been reported in Japan, Thailand and South Korea.

The World Health Organization announced it will convene an emergency committee on Wednesday to determine whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, and what measures should be taken.

Global Times