Coronavirus Outbreak: 259 People Dead In China As Confirmed Cases Of Infection Surge To Over 11,700

The number of deaths due to the Coronavirus in China has risen to 259, with 11,791 cases of infection registered in 31 provincial-level regions of the country, Chinese health authorities said on Saturday (1 February).

The National Health Commission of China in its daily report said that 1,795 patients remained in critical condition, and 17,988 people were suspected of being infected with the virus as of the Friday night, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to the report, a total of 243 people have been discharged from the hospitals after recovery.

On Friday (31 January), 2,102 new confirmed cases and 5,019 new suspected cases were detected. As many as 45 more people died due to the deadly virus in Hubei province while one other fatality was recorded in Chongqing municipality.

Besides China, positive cases of the coronavirus have been reported in around over 20 countries including in India, US, Australia, UK, Russia and Thailand. However, no deaths were reported from any other country except China.

On Thursday (30 January), the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency over the new virus.