Central China's Hubei province, the center of the novel coronavirus outbreak, started to comprehensively check and verify patients with fever one by one Tuesday, according to an announcement made by the provincial novel coronavirus prevention and control headquarters.

It is requiring that all people who have had a fever and visited medical institutions, and purchased medicines for reducing fever and relieving coughs from online or physical stores since Jan 20 shall be screened out.

Investigators must find out each person's time for the treatment and purchase, their name, ID number, current residential address and phone number, and then organize on-site verification, follow-up testing, isolation and treatment, according to the document.

Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei, started to carry out a three-day, one-by-one check on Monday to find people who need medical help and to contain the epidemic's spread.

The epidemic prevention and control headquarters in cities, counties and towns across Hubei are required to conduct door-to-door checks and verification. Daily reports of high-risk people should be made to the local headquarters in a timely manner, according to the announcement.

All designated hospitals and fever clinics in the province must strictly implement a real-name registration system for patients seeking medical treatment, it said.

Pharmacies should check and register the identity information of people who buy fever and cough medicines, including western medicine and Chinese medicine.

Those buying over the counter medicine should provide valid identity certificates, such as identity cards or medical insurance cards, it said.

In the case of purchasing on behalf of an agent, the agent needs to present valid identity certificates for the people who need the medicine and register their own information.

Customers who purchase fever-reducing and cough-relieving drugs online must be registered with their real name. The delivery service must check and register the identity information of the package sender.

Residents are urged to conduct self-health monitoring, and to report to the local community or village committee immediately once they have symptoms of fever or cough. The community and village committee should verify the report and transfer confirmed fever patients to the fever clinic nearby.

The public can report problems, such as failing to spot fever patients and poor implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures, through the hotline 12345 and the Ehuiban mobile phone application.

Departments and institutes that fail to follow the rules and cause the spread of the epidemic shall be promptly and severely punished, according to the announcement.

Individuals who fail to report fever symptoms truthfully or refuse to cooperate with the investigation and verification shall be investigated in accordance with laws and regulations, it said.