Toronto, Jan 26 (IANS): The Confederation of Toronto Chinese Canadian Organizations (CTCCO) launched a drive on Saturday to raise donations for the Chinese city of Wuhan to prevent cross-infection and curb the spreading of the novel coronavirus-related pneumonia.

CTCCO Chairman Wen Guoning told the Xinhua news agency that CTCCO will set up donation boxes at shopping centres in Toronto area Saturday evening.

Nearly 50,000 Canadian dollars (about $38,000) were raised till Saturday afternoon.

The donated money will be used to purchase necessary supplies for epidemic prevention, which will be sent to China as soon as possible, he said.

Hospitals in Wuhan, the central Chinese city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak, are calling on public support for protective supplies such as masks and suits, as supplies run low and the number of cases grows daily.

Chinese health authorities announced Saturday that 1,287 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), including 237 in critical condition, had been reported in the country by the end of Friday.

The pneumonia situation had resulted in 41 deaths.