Death toll rises to 304 in China's coronavirus outbreak

BEIJING - Anadolu Agency

The death toll in China from the novel coronavirus outbreak climbed to 304, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Feb. 2.

A total of 14,380 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus (2019-nCoV) have been reported in China.

It was reported that 45 people died in the last 24 hours and 19,544 were suspected of being infected.

Around 137,600 people are under medical observation, while the number of people discharged reached 328.

A 44-year-old man who reportedly died of the coronavirus in the Philippines on Feb. 1 became the first confirmed death outside China, according to the World Health Organization's local office on Feb. 2.

The patient was a Chinese from the Hubei province in Wuhan, where the virus was first detected.

The NHC also announced the bodies of those who died due to the outbreak will be burned in crematorium areas near the hospital.

The number of people with the virus detected outside of China's mainland reached 14 in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and reached seven in Macau Special Administrative Region.

The NHC reported the number of new cases of virus detection within last 24 hours rose to 2,590.

The cases have been reported also in Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, the U.S., France, Germany, North Korea, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Vietnam, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the U.K., Russia, Nepal, Cambodia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Finland and India.

The virus, which originated in Wuhan, is said to have been transmitted to humans from animals, particularly bats.

It raised alarm globally with cases reported across Asia, Europe, the U.S. and Canada.

Spain confirmed on Feb. 1 its first case in one of five suspected German tourists in La Gomera, one of the islands in Spain's Canary Island chain.

The U.S. declared a public health emergency due to the new type of coronavirus epidemic.

Russia on Saturday stopped the visa-free travel application for tourism purposes with China.

Travelers from China are being screened for the virus at airports worldwide and several airlines suspended flights to Wuhan.

The World Health Organization declared the outbreak an international emergency.