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Foreign Minister Wang Yi says China is willing to do its utmost to help the Philippines to fight the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Foreign Minister made the remarks during a phone call with Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin.
Wang Yi says China has decided to provide the Philippines with medical materials such as test kits and protective clothing and will dispatch medical experts.
He urges all countries to carry out international cooperation in joint prevention and control as soon as possible.
Two more provincial-level regions in China have reduced the number of COVID-19 patients to zero.
The last patients in Chongqing and Tianjin were discharged from hospitals yesterday.
Chongqing registered 576 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, while Tianjin confirmed 136 cases.
So far, 12 provincial-level regions on the Chinese mainland as well as Macao have been cleared of COVID-19 infections.
Beijing and Shanghai say overseas travelers diagnosed with COVID-19 in China may have to foot the bill for their own treatment.
This refers to individuals who are not covered by the country's basic medical insurance or private insurance.
Both Shanghai and Beijing have reported increasing numbers of imported cases.
Shanghai's health commission has promised government subsidies for patients from outside the Chinese mainland who have enrolled in the country's basic medical insurance.
Individuals not in the scheme have to pay for their treatments or rely on commercial insurance.
The Chinese mainland reported 16 imported cases on Saturday, bringing the total to 111.
The World Health Organization says the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 outside China has increased by nearly 11,000 to over 72,000.
The latest WHO daily report also says over 153,000 confirmed cases of infection have been reported globally as of Sunday morning.
Outside China, over 300 more patients died of COVID-19 compared to the previous day, bringing the total number of deaths to more than 25 hundred.
In Europe, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 45,000 cases were reported in over 50 countries and regions as of Sunday morning.
The report shows that 80 countries and regions outside China have seen local transmission of COVID-19.
Pakistani officials have joined their South Asian counterparts in a video conference call to discuss their responses to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation members held the talks yesterday, exploring ways of coordinating their strategies to combat the disease.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the conference last Friday amid a rapid spread of the virus globally.
A representative for Pakistan proposed that member states conduct exit screenings for travelers in the region and learn from China's efforts to control the virus.
Nearly 200 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the eight member countries.
Of the confirmed cases, 107 are in India and 52 are in Pakistan.
The US Federal Reserve says it will cut rates to near Zero to tackle disruptions caused by the coronavirus.
It has also announced to purchase more Treasury securities to encourage lending to try to offset the impact of the outbreak.
The German Interior Minister has announced that the country will partially close its borders with five neighbors to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Horst Seehofer says the five countries include France, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark and Luxembourg.
He says the temporary border controls starting today will not affect goods or commuter traffic.
"The border checks, which start on Monday, will come with restrictions in cross-border traffic. I specifically note that goods and people commuting to and from work across borders will continue to be possible. People without a valid reason to travel will no longer be allowed to enter and leave the country. And I therefore ask all citizens to absolutely refrain from any non-essential travel in this area."
Germany has so far confirmed over 4,800 cases of infection with COVID-19 and reported 12 deaths.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main political rival Benny Gantz have agreed to launch talks on a possible unity government amidst a post-election deadlock.
They say negotiations teams of both parties will meet "as soon as possible."
Yesterday, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin consulted with leaders of all elected parties from the vote on March 2.
