New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS): As China struggles to contain the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus (COVID-19), robots were being deployed in the country's front lines in an effort to combat the disease.

The development came to light after a video was shared by one of the country's leading media outlet with the caption: "Robots are taking over the disinfection work and expected to be put into use in factories and other public indoor spaces in different cities of China."

In the video, a robotic sprayer can be seen on a street which can help reduce the transmission of the COVID-19 in heavily populated urban areas.

Besides disinfection and street patrols, the robot were also deployed to deliver food and medicine in quarantine wards.

Netizens have hailed the Chinese government's initiative to deploy robots and said that it could help in improving sanitation levels, which would result in the drastic reduction of the number of patients.

A user wrote: "Robots are taking over! The only job left for humans is elder care, even the robots won't do it."

Another wrote: "Looks like a leaf blower on a skateboard. I'd be more impressed if it moved like the boston dynamics doggo but could fog your face even if you kicked it."

"Interesting how China already had these disinfectant robots at the ready, hummmmmm. Makes one wonder," another post read

The overall death toll in mainland China increased to 2,236 on Friday, while the number of confirmed cases reached 75,465.