Beijing convenes leading group to handle coronavirus

Beijing authorities on Wednesday established a leading group for the prevention and control of coronavirus pneumonia outbreaks.

Seven separate groups were set up under the leading group in the capital according to Beijing Daily, to launch a joint prevention and control mechanism.

Daily meetings will be convened to probe the current situation of the epidemic and make plans for the future.

Supervision and inspection checks have been conducted in medical institutions in Beijing, including designated hospitals and comprehensive training for medical staff.

According to the IATA airline database, Beijing topped the list of destinations for flights that took off from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Central China's Hubei province during the period of Dec 30 to Jan 20, while Haikou, capital city of Hainan province, ranked fourth.

China's southernmost Hainan province confirmed four new pneumonia cases Wednesday afternoon, and patients are currently in stable condition according to Hainan provincial health authorities.

As a tropical tourist destination, Hainan province usually attracts a large number of visitors during the Spring Festival holiday.