President Xi warns virus is 'accelerating', country facing 'grave situation': state media

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned China was facing a "grave situation" given the "accelerating spread" of a new SARS-like virus that has infected nearly 1,300 people across the country, state media reported Saturday.

"Faced with the grave situation of an accelerating spread of the new coronavirus... it is necessary to strengthen the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee," Xi said, according to official news agency Xinhua.