Death toll from the coronavirus jumped to 813 on Sunday, overtaking the number of fatalities of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2002-03. During the SARS outbreak, which also originated in China, 774 people were killed globally over several months.
In the past one month, coronavirus had claimed one life each in the Philippines and Hong Kong, with the first death being reported from the outbreak epicentre of Wuhan, capital of the worst-hit Hubei province, on January 11. The virus was first reported in the city in December. In Hubei province alone, the death toll is put at 780 by provincial health officials.
The number of infected in China have gone up to 37,198. A total of 2,649 patients infected with the virus were discharged from hospital after recovery by Saturday, the health authorities announced Sunday.
Wuhan and more than a dozen other cities in the province have been under lockdown for more than two weeks now, severely restricting the movement of tens of millions of people. In the wake of millions returning to their places of work after Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday this week. The return has so far been staggered as the government extended holidays and directed offices to be shut, or implemented the work-from-home policy in many places.
A 60-year-old US citizen, diagnosed with coronavirus, died at Jinyintan Hospital in China’s Wuhan, a US embassy spokesperson in Beijing told US media.
A Japanese man, also in his 60s, died in Wuhan on Saturday after battling severe pneumonia. Though his cause of death is suspected to be NCP, no definitive conclusion has been reached yet, Chinese state media, quoting the Japanese foreign ministry, said.
At least 17 foreigners are under quarantine and treatment for the disease in China.
