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Coronavirus pandemic

Hainan authorities to support doctors' children amid novel coronavirus outbreak

The children of doctors who are fighting against coronavirus oubreak will receive a number of benefits while entering schools and universities

HAIKOU, February 20. /TASS/. The Hainan provincial authorities will provide benefits for the children of medics who help to combat the pneumonia epidemic in the country in the Hubei province, according to www.hinews.cn.

According to the news outlet, when applying for pre-school educational institutions, children will have a priority right to enroll in kindergarten in conformity with the place of their residence. A number of benefits will be given to children of medics who enter schools and universities and pass final exams. What is more, psychologists, counselors and volunteers will be supporting students during the epidemic.

New rules partly extend to the doctors themselves. In particular, members of the medical staff sent to Hubei will enjoy benefits during graduate school exams at Hainan universities this year.

The measures are temporary and will stay in effect until December 31, 2020.

Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in Wuhan, a densely populated city in central China, in late December 2019. The WHO declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus a global health emergency and named the virus COVID-19. Coronavirus cases have also been reported in 25 other countries, including Russia.

According to the latest data, the overall number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases has exceeded 75,000 and the death toll has hit 2,130. Nearly 17,000 patients have recovered to date.

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