China reported Sunday a drop in new virus cases for the third straight day, as it became apparent that the country's leadership was aware of the potential gravity of the situation well before the alarm was sounded.

There are 2,009 new cases in mainland China, bringing its total number of confirmed cases to 68,500, according to the country's National Health Commission.

The fatality rate remained stable with 142 new deaths. The death toll in mainland China from COVID-19, a disease stemming from a new form of coronavirus, now stands at 1665.

The outbreak began in December in Wuhan, capital of the central Chinese province of Hubei. It has since spread to more than 24 countries and prompted sweeping prevention measures from the Chinese government, including a lockdown of cities with a combined population of more than 60 million.

Many countries have also placed travel restrictions on recent visitors to China.

Medical workers in protective suits help transfer the first group of patients into the newly-completed Huoshenshan temporary field hospital in Wuhan. Photo / AP

After Chinese President Xi Jinping played a muted public role in the early days of the epidemic, state media published Saturday evening a speech Xi delivered February 3 in which he said he gave instructions on fighting the virus as early as January 7.

The disclosure indicates top leaders were aware of the outbreak's potential severity well before such dangers were made known to the public.

People wear face masks as they fill out immigration paperwork at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport. Photo / AP

It was not until late January that officials said the virus can spread between humans and public alarm began to rise.

In his speech, Xi also revealed that he ordered a lockdown of the virus epicentre: "On January 22, in light of the epidemic's rapid spread and the challenges of prevention and control, I made a clear request that Hubei province implement comprehensive and stringent controls over the outflow of people."

On January 23, Wuhan became the first city to impose an unprecedented halt on outbound transportation.