China's central guiding team on coronavirus epidemic control mourned the loss of Liu Zhiming, a veteran doctor who succumbed to the novel coronavirus infection early on Tuesday.

Deputy head of the National Health Commission Yu Xuejun headed to Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province on Tuesday afternoon to pay tribute to doctor Liu and send condolences to his family.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday mourned the death of Liu Zhiming.

He said on Twitter that Liu "touched and saved numerous lives in the COVID-19 outbreak," adding that "my thoughts are with them and all the front-line health workers fighting the virus."

Liu, head of Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan, passed away at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday from novel coronavirus pneumonia.