BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) - China has stepped up efforts to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Here are the latest developments:

-- China's foreign trade of goods fell 11 percent year on year in the first two months of this year to 592 billion US dollars amid disruptions caused by the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

A volunteer checks a resident's body temperature at the entrance of a community in Qingtian County, east China's Zhejiang Province, March 1, 2020. (Photo: Xinhua)

-- China will quicken the development of 5G technology to crank up the economic engine in the battle against the COVID-19 outbreak, with tailored measures to be adopted to fast-track the construction of the 5G network in regions with low health risks.

-- China's logistics activities slowed in February due to the impact of the virus outbreak.

-- China's procurator-general has called for strict law enforcement while dealing with cases and flexibility in approach amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

-- The number of new COVID-19 cases in China dropped to double-digit figures on Friday for the first time since Jan. 20.

A total of 99 newly confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 28 deaths were reported on Friday on the Chinese mainland. The deaths were all reported in Hubei Province.

The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 80,651 by the end of Friday, including 22,177 patients who were still being treated, 55,404 patients who had been discharged after recovery, and 3,070 people who had died from the disease.

Also on Friday, 24 imported cases of novel coronavirus infection were reported on the mainland, including 17 in Gansu Province, three in Beijing, three in Shanghai and one in Guangdong Province. By the end of Friday, 60 imported cases had been reported.

-- President Xi Jinping on Friday stressed overcoming the impact of COVID-19 to clinch a complete victory in the fight against poverty.

-- Premier Li Keqiang on Friday stressed enhancing international cooperation in COVID-19 prevention and control to prevent cross-border spread of the epidemic.