Coronavirus has claimed 908 people so far in China, Chinese health officials confirmed on Monday.
As per media reports, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in China has risen to over 40,000 on Monday.
According to China’s National Health Commission, on Sunday, 97 people lost their lives due to the deadly virus while 3,062 new confirmed cases have been reported.
The commission reported the deaths of 91 people in the Hubei province of China.
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Hubei province has been identified as the epicenter of the epidemic.
While two deaths have been reported in Anhui and one each in Jiangxi, Gansu, Hainan and Heilongjiang have died due to the lethal virus.
The commission said a total of 908 people have died of the disease.
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A total of 40,171 confirmed cases of the coronavirus outbreak have been reported in 31 provincial-level regions so far, the commission said.
On Sunday, the state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the commission as saying that after recovery as many as 3,281 patients have been discharged from hospitals. Over 630 people, including 356 in Hubei, have been discharged so far, it added.
The masses have been requested by the Chinese authorities to come forward to undergo coronavirus tests.
The Chinese authorities have also announced a 1,000 yuan (around $143) reward for the people reaching the hospital to get tested for the disease.
According to another report, over 440 cases have been confirmed outside mainland China, including two deaths in Hong Kong and the Philippines.
Meanwhile, the British government has declared the deadly virus as a “serious and imminent threat to public health”.
The British government said it gives the authorities powers to forcibly detain infected people if necessary.
The British government’s announcement comes after a British man, who was affected by the virus in Singapore in January appeared to be behind spreading the virus to at least seven other people in Europe, who have been tested positive for the virus.
The British Airways has extended the suspension of flights serving Chinese cities amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus.
The airline on Monday said flights to and from Beijing and Shanghai had been cancelled until March 31.
“We are contacting customers on cancelled flights so we can discuss their travel options, including rebooking onto other carriers where possible, full refunds or booking with BA for a later date of travel. Safety is at the heart of everything we do and we will keep the situation under review,” it said.