Chinese health authorities on Sunday said that 57 new confirmed coronavirus cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Saturday.

Wuhan, the Chinese city hardest hit by the COVID-19 outbreak, had only 181 critically ill patients on Monday, dropping from a peak of over 9,000 cases, a Chinese health official said Tuesday.

China will strengthen social security and ensure employment to prevent and control the spread of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, said the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

In the wake of the outbreak of coronavirus there, the government is considering a temporary ban on travel to and from China as a precautionary measure, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque said on Sunday.