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Chinese authorities are calling for further efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus while resuming business operations in an orderly way.
A meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang says the possibility of a wider outbreak has been avoided, and a positive trend has emerged nationwide in preventing and controlling the epidemic.
But it also warns of the epidemic's complicated changes and says prevention and control measures cannot be loosened as businesses and schools gradually resume operations in most regions of the country.
Chinese health authorities say there were nearly 19-hundred new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 98 deaths on Monday.
93 of the deaths were in Hubei Province, three in Henan, and one each in Hebei and Hunan respectively.
A team consisting of experts from China and the World Health Organization has begun field inspections on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The team has completed a trip in Beijing, and will leave for Guangdong and Sichuan today.
The team has visited the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as a hospital and a residential area in Beijing, and conducted technical exchanges with officials and experts.
They have also attended a symposium held by the National Health Commission to learn more about China's epidemic prevention and control measures.
A U.S. Nobel Laureate in Economics recently addressed a letter to the Chinese people to hail China's efforts in combating the Coronavirus and express optimism about the country's economic development prospects.
Qian Shanming has details from New York.
Robert Merton with Massachusetts Institute of Technology sent the letter over the weekend, calling China a nation known for its influential culture, rich history and resilience.
He says the epidemic has roiled financial markets and provoked alarm that the world economy may be in for another major economic shock.
Even though the global economy is feeling pressure, Merton says everyone is aware that China has been grappling with the deadly Coronavirus outbreak with its full strength.
He adds that from the very start of the epidemic, Chinese medical personnel have worked very hard to contain the outbreak, as demonstrated by China's extensive quarantine measure.
Merton expresses his hope that economic damage from the outbreak will be quickly contained by the assertive COVID-19 response by the Chinese government and its global partners and peers.
The U.N. Secretary-General is calling on the international community to take more actions to help Afghan refugees.
Antonio Guterres made the remarks while addressing an international conference marking the 40-year presence of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
"For 40 years the people of Afghanistan have faced successive crisis. For 40 years, the people of Pakistan have responded with solidarity. The generosity now spans across decades and generations. Indeed this is the world's largest protracted refugee situation in recorded history. And this is also a story that is closest to my heart."
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan says his country will do everything for peace in Afghanistan so that refugees can go back smoothly to help develop their homeland.
The European Union has agreed to launch a new naval and air mission in the eastern Mediterranean to stop more arms reach warring factions in Libya, after Austria lifted its veto.
The decision came after weeks of fruitless negotiations and warnings by EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell that the bloc risked becoming irrelevant if it could not act.
"Today we have put on the table a political agreement: we are going to send navy ships in order to control the routes followed by the ships that bring arms to Libya. For sure, as I said, they are not there to just have a look and say 'hello'; no, they have to act. If there is a trafficking of arms they will have to react and interfere in the movement of ships."
EU ships will sail and inspect suspicious vessels in the eastern Mediterranean, where most arms smuggling takes place.
Borrell says he hopes the EU operation can be patrolling by the end of March.
Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton and footballer Lionel Messi share the men's title at the 2020 Laureus Awards.
Hamilton won his sixth drivers' title while Messi guided Barcelona to the La Liga crown last season.
Gymnast Simone Biles won her third Laureus Sportswoman of the Year award.
Biles won five gold medals in Stuttgart last year to become the most decorated athlete at the World Championships.
