MOSCOW, February 9. /TASS/. China has expressed gratitude to Russia for its assistance in fighting the coronavirus outbreak, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, the Russian Emergencies Ministry delivered humanitarian aid to China’s Wuhan hit by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

"During the humanitarian aid delivery, the Chinese representatives expressed sincere gratitude to Russia for its help in fighting the outbreak," the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed.

At China’s request the humanitarian cargo weighting over 23 tonnes includes various medical means of individual protection, which certain affected Chinese regions lack now," it said.

On December 31, 2019, the Chinese authorities reported to the World Health Organization about an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown etiology in Wuhan, an economic and industrial metropolis with a population of 11 million. The virus - 2019-nCoV - was identified on January 7, 2020. Apart from China, 24 other countries, including Russia, have reported confirmed coronavirus cases. According to the latest data, the overall number of people who contracted the novel coronavirus in China has exceeded 37,000, and more than 810 people have died.

The World Health Organization declared the new coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, characterizing it as an epidemic with multiple locations.