Medical staff members from the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University receive training on Feb 9, 2020, before their departure to aid Wuhan, the city hardest hit by the epidemic in China. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

Another 264 medical staff departed from Qingdao, East China's Shandong province and headed to Central China's Hubei province to join the battle against the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) on Sunday morning.

The number set a new record for offering medical aid from outside the city.

Among them, 32 doctors and 100 nurses come from the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, a leading hospital in the city as well as in Shandong province.

Once they land in Wuhan, they will become a strong power support at the intensive care unit of the Optics Valley Campus of Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College in Wuhan, the city hardest hit by the epidemic in China.

"This is the most critical and decisive time of this fight against the virus, and you are going to work in the most dangerous area. The mission is full of the central government's trust, as well as your spirit of bravery and responsibility," said Hu Jinyan, Party secretary of Qingdao University, at a farewell ceremony in the morning.