India to send medical supplies to China as death toll crosses 1,600

Misri in a video post on Twitter expressed solidarity with the Chinese people and the government in the fight against the epidemic and said, "India will do everything within its means to support the people of China in this hour of crisis."

"As a concrete step to tackle the outbreak, India will soon send a consignment of medical supplies to China," Misri said in the video post on the official Twitter handle of the Indian embassy.

"This is a concrete measure which will fully demonstrate the goodwill, solidarity and friendship of the people and government of India with the Chinese people."

He said the people of city of Wuhan and the province of Hubei are the worst affected by the epidemic. They have a very special place in the hearts of the Indian people.

"India will do everything within its means to support the people of China in this hour of crisis," said the envoy in the video posted on the official Twitter handle of the Indian embassy.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had written to President Xi Jinping, offering India's assistance to China to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.

China's National Health Commission meanwhile said the proportion of severe and critical cases of the among all confirmed cases has decreased significantly in the country.

In Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic, the proportion of severe cases among the confirmed cases fell from a peak of 32.4 per cent on January 28 to 21.6 per cent on February 15, said Mi Feng, a spokesperson with the NHC, at a press conference in Beijing.

The proportion in other parts of Hubei Province dropped from a peak of 18.4 per cent on January 27 to 11.1 per cent on Feb. 15, said Mi.

The percentage in other provinces also decreased significantly. "These changes have proven the current epidemic prevention and control measures are effective," said Mi.