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BEIJING, Jan. 31-- The Chinese government has taken the strictest measures to prevent and control the novel coronavirus epidemic, said the country's health authorities on Friday. China is confident in and capable of effectively containing the novel coronavirus epidemic, and eventually defeating it, said the National Health Commission (NHC) at its daily press briefing on the epidemic. The NHC made the remarks while responding to reports that the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday the novel coronavirus outbreak has become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. According to the NHC, as of Thursday, 9,692 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection had been reported nationwide. A total of 213 people have died of the disease. Also 1,527 patients remained in critical conditions, and 15,238 people were suspected of being infected with the virus. The experts and the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, appreciated China's efforts to prevent and control the epidemic, noting that the designation was aimed at mobilizing more international resources to deal with the epidemic, according to the NHC. To curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, China has rolled out a host of uNPRecedented moves, including extending the Spring Festival holiday, postponing the spring semesters of schools and universities, and adopting transport restrictions in various areas. | 
