ANKARA 

A Chinese medical team arrived in Zimbabwe to help local doctors handle the novel coronavirus pandemic in the country, local media reported Monday. 

The 10-member team, the 18th of its kind to visit Zimbabwe, will assist the Zimbabwean doctors in fighting the virus for a year, local news website The Herald reported.

"We have very strong relations with China in the medical field and as you are aware, this is the 18th medical team from China to visit Zimbabwe. The 17th team will be leaving this Friday," said Maxwell Hove, acting Chief Director of Curative Services in Zimbabwe's Ministry of Health and Child Care. He received the Chinese medical team at the Robert Mugabe International Airport, according to the report.

The head of Chinese medical team, who is the deputy chief physician in the Radiology Department of the Zhuzhou Central Hospital, Dr. Luo Weiqiang said: "We want to assist Zimbabwe in the fight against COVID-19 as well as explore other areas in the traditional medicine field," according to The Herald.

"We will also focus on the promotion of the Chinese Traditional Medicine," he was quoted as saying.

Since March, at least 227 people have been killed and 7,812 infected with COVID-19 in the landlocked southern African country, according to figures compiled by the US-based John Hopkins University.

Worldwide, the virus has claimed more than 998,600 lives in 188 countries and regions since first emerging in Wuhan, in December.

The US, India, Brazil and Russia are currently the worst-hit countries.

Over 33.15 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, with recoveries surpassing 22.96 million, according to John Hopkins University.