Coronavirus death toll hits 81 as cases spread
The death toll from coronavirus climbed to 81 today as the Chinese government extended the Lunar New Year holiday while it struggled to cope with the outbreak.
The number of confirmed cases rose roughly 30 per cent to 2,744, with about half of them in Hubei province, whose capital is Wuhan, where the outbreak is thought to have begun.
Millions of Chinese people normally travel over the Lunar New Year holiday, which has now been extended by three days. This year, however, travel restrictions and fears of contagion have caused many to cancel their plans.
As Beijing struggled to manage the deadly virus outbreak, Chinese premier Li Keqiang visited Wuhan and inspected the efforts to deal with the outbreak. The government has sought to show it is taking the crisis seriously.
His visit came as Beijing warned that it expects the spread of the virus to accelerate. Wuhan’s Mayor Zhou Xianwang said the number of cases in the city could rise by another 1,000, and added that 5m people had already left the city.
The city already had severe limits are already in place on movement, but the government today suspended visa and passport services until the end of the month.
There have been numerous cases of infection from coronavirus outside China, but no confirmed fatalities.
Thailand and Hong Kong have each reported eight cases of infection. The US, Australia, Taiwan and Macau have each seen five cases.
Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia have reported four cases each; France and South Korea have seen three; Vietnam two, and there has been one in each of Canada and Nepal.
Britain has scanned numerous people for the virus upon their return from Hubei province, but no tests have come back positive.
Yesterday, Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay told the BBC’s Andrew Marr show that an airlift for Britons stuck in the province is being kept “under review”. He added that the Foreign Office is working with Chinese authorities.