BEIJING, Jan. 30 -- The China Futures Association (CFA), together with four Chinese exchanges, donated 40 million yuan (about 5.77 million U.S. dollars) to China's Hubei Province on Thursday to support the battle against the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

The donation was jointly made by the Shanghai Futures Exchange, Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange, Dalian Commodity Exchange and China Financial Futures Exchange, the CFA said on its website.

The association issued a proposal earlier this week calling on the whole industry to support the fight against the epidemic, and the majority of members are now actively responding with various forms of donations and materials.

The funds will be donated to designated medical institutions through the Hubei Charity Federation, to provide supplies for the anti-epidemic campaign and to offer protection for frontline medical workers, said the CFA.

Chinese health authorities announced Thursday that the novel coronavirus had claimed 170 lives and infected 7,711 people nationwide.