Heeding calls from the central government, the Zhoushan municipal government recently established a leading group to promote disease control against the new coronavirus.

As of now, the city has only reported only one case of the disease, which was diagnosed on Jan 21. The patient is currently in stable condition, according to the city's health commission.

In an effort to protect its citizens from the disease, the city has been organizing officials to inspect and sterilize public places, including passenger transportation centers, shopping malls, farmer's markets and scenic spots, since Jan 22. Public transit vehicles must be disinfected every day.

Several groups of government employees at health-related departments have been providing locals who recently returned from Wuhan, where the first case of the disease was found, with free medical examinations and teaching them how to protect themselves from the disease.

The city's administration of market supervision has arranged daily inspections to stop retailers from bidding up the prices of medical equipment, especially masks and disinfectants.

The city's center for disease control and prevention has set up a 24-hour hotline to answer questions from residents and help them better protects themselves.