Death toll in China coronavirus outbreak exceeds 2,000

BEIJING

The death toll in China from the coronavirus outbreak has risen to 2,005, the country’s National Health Commission said Wednesday.

Authorities said 74,185 confirmed cases have been reported in the last 24 hours while 136 people have died.

They said the medical conditions of 11,977 people diagnosed with the virus are serious.

The number of those under medical observation has dropped to 135,881, while the number of patients who have been treated and discharged has risen to 14,376.

The number of those detected with the virus outside China's mainland stands at 62 in Hong Kong and 10 in Macau. Both are special administrative regions.

The coronavirus, now officially known as COVID-19, is said to have been transmitted to humans from animals, particularly bats.

It has spread to more than 20 other countries including the U.S., the U.K., Singapore, France, Russia, Spain and India.

Many countries, including Turkey, have evacuated their citizens from the city of Wuhan – the epicenter of the virus – and other affected areas of China, placing them under quarantine and monitoring.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak an international health emergency.

*Writing by Fahri Aksut