The number of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections in China is on a downwards trend and more and more patients are recovering as a result of strengthened prevention and control measures and rescue forces, an official from the National Health Commission (NHC) said at a press conference on Saturday.

NHC spokesperson Mi Feng noted that the number of virus infections in Wuhan City, other cities in Hubei Province and other provinces in China all went down from their peaks.

The figure in Wuhan went down to 36,680 on Friday from its peak of 38,020 on February 18. Other cities in Hubei Province reported 10,967 on Friday, compared to the peak number of 13,886 on February 14.

While for other provinces apart from Hubei, the number went from 9,141 on February 11 to 5,637 on February 21.