Foreigners in Hubei, the center of the ongoing outbreak of the novel coronavirus, began receiving timely information regarding disease prevention and control in various languages on official platforms on Thursday.

They can find information on the province's official websites and its official WeChat accounts, or visit http://m.hbtv.com.cn/2020fyqwfb0203. The province also releases information on platforms such as Hubei Daily and Changjiang Yun - online outlets of Hubei Media Group - in seven languages: English, French, German, Russian, Japanese, Korean and Spanish. Guidelines - for example, how to protect family members from the novel coronavirus - have been posted on these platforms to help foreign residents.

In addition, the government has opened a hotline (027-87122256) for foreigners in the province who need help and consultation. The service is provided 24 hours every day in various languages, according to a government release.

On Thursday, the provincial government released a public letter to its foreign residents in six languages, including English and French, to brief them about the situation and boost people's resolve to fight the pandemic.