Medical workers pose for a photo at a farewell ceremony in Nantong before leaving for Huangshi, Hubei province, on Feb 11. [Photo/ntjoy.com]

Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province sent 16 medical workers on Feb 11 to help fight the novel coronavirus pneumonia in the city of Huangshi, one of the hardest-hit cities in Hubei province.

As of Feb 10, Huangshi had reported 835 confirmed cases, 179 suspected cases and 5 deaths.

According to Nantong's health commission, the team, consisting of six doctors and 10 nurses, will join the Jiangsu provincial medical team to aid Huangshi following a national "pairing-up support for Hubei" policy, which requires 16 municipalities and provinces to aid cities in Hubei.

The medical workers, aged between 29 and 48, specialize in respiratory and infectious diseases and critical care at the Nantong First People's Hospital, Nantong Third People's Hospital, Nantong Sixth People's Hospital, Hai'an People's Hospital, Jiangsu Rudong County People's Hospital and the Third People's Hospital of Qidong.

It is the fifth medical team that Nantong has dispatched to Hubei, with the previous four teams arriving in Wuhan on Jan 26, 28, Feb 9 and 10.

A total of 66 medical personnel from Nantong have joined the fight in Hubei so far, the city's health commission said.