Beijing issues public letter to foreigners amid novel coronavirus outbreak

Beijing issued a public letter to foreigners in the city, offering a list of 101 hospitals for the treatment of fever and 20 hospitals designated for treating novel coronavirus infections.

A public letter was released to foreigners in the Chinese capital city Beijing on Friday, offering a list of 101 hospitals for the treatment of fever and 20 hospitals designated for treating novel coronavirus infections.

Beijing has also set up a hotline to provide information about the epidemic in eight foreign languages, according to the Foreign Affairs Office of Beijing Municipal People's Government.

People work at the Xiaotangshan Hospital which is under renovation in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 30, 2020. Beijing has begun to renovate its hospital Xiaotangshan, formerly used to quarantine SARS patients, as a precaution in the face of the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to a press conference on Thursday. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang)

Authorities have issued similar public letters to foreigners in China in a number of provinces and cities. These letters remind foreigners to enhance self-protection and avoid crowded places or group activities.

"I have noticed that China has issued public letters to foreigners, which is quite considerate," said Biggers Sauli, a Wuhan-based student from Malawi. "I believe that this is just a phase, and we can get through the difficulties."