Chinese President Xi Jinping called the accelerating spread of the novel coronavirus a “grave situation” and suspended international tourist travel from his country. The Chinese leader pledged China would “win this battle to beat the epidemic.”

“Confronted with the grave situation of this accelerating spread of pneumonia from infections with the novel coronavirus, we must step up the centralized and united leadership under the party central” leadership, Mr. Xi told members of the Communist Patry Politburo, the New York Times reported.

As part of the effort to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus which began in Wuhan, China, the president said China would suspend all tour groups and the sale of flight and hotel packages for its citizens headed overseas. The suspension of ticket sales begins on Monday.

China marked the beginning of its Lunar New Year’s holiday with an announcement of 15 additional deaths of patients infected with the coronavirus. The new deaths include a 62-year-old ear, nose, and throat specialist, the Times reported. This brings the death toll in China to 41.

The deceased doctor retired last year and health officials did not say if he had been treating patients or became infected some other way.

Officials report 38 of the 41 deaths occurred in Wuhan. The latest victims ranged in age from 55 to 87. The number of confirmed cased in China climbed to nearly 1,400.