File photo: Workers in protective suits are seen at a checkpoint for registration and body temperature measurement, at an entrance of a residential compound in Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak, Hubei province, China February 23, 2020 Reuters

'Winter will pass, and spring is sure to come'

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming has written a letter to Bangladeshi students in China to express concern and encourage them to stay unmoved amid the epidemic of novel coronavirus.

Written on Sunday, the letter said: "Epidemic may isolate us physically, but it doesn't cut off communication or love. We are all in this battle together."

In the letter, Li Jiming expressed his confidence to win the battle decisively.

"So far no Bangladeshi student in China has been infected, nor anyone in Bangladesh," he said.

Citing, "It is the best option right now to stay in China" the Chinese envoy told the students:"I would confidently rely on you to make the most sensible decision, and sincerely believe that as a member of the Bengali nation, you will not put your country and your people at risk, however small the possibility might be."

Requesting the students to have faith on the Chinese authorities, keep calm and stay strong, he said:"Winter will pass, and spring is sure to come."

Meanwhile, the new coronavirus has peaked in China but could still grow into a pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned, as infections mushroom in other countries, reports AFP.

Financial markets have gone into a tailspin after grim news of deaths and outbreaks in the Middle East, Europe and Asia, even as the Chinese epicentre appeared to be calming, with the death toll at its lowest for three weeks.

But the situation is worsening in other countries, with more than 2,000 cases and 30 deaths reported abroad, prompting a raft of restrictions on travellers from infected nations.

South Korea, Italy, and Iran have logged particularly sharp increases in infections and deaths, while several countries in the Middle East reported their first cases of the novel coronavirus.

In China, 508 new cases were reported, with all but nine at the epicentre in central Hubei province. Although that was up from 409 on Monday it was much lower than new infections being reported just a week ago.

China's death toll reached 2,663 on Tuesday, after 71 more people died.