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Coronavirus Death Toll Near 1,900

VOA News

   Chinese health officials reported Tuesday the number of confirmed cases
   from a coronavirus outbreak has surpassed 72,000, with the death toll
   rising to nearly 1,900.

   The latest update included 98 more deaths and 1,886 new cases of the
   virus that has strained China's healthcare system and caused
   authorities to put areas on lockdown to try to stop it from spreading.

   The country's state television reported that one person who died from
   the virus Tuesday was Liu Zhiming, the director of Wuchang Hospital in
   Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province that is the epicenter of the
   outbreak.

   The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
   said Monday that Chinese data from recent days appeared to indicate a
   decline in new cases. However, he said the trend "must be interpreted
   very cautiously."

   "Trends can change as new populations are affected. It is too early to
   tell if this reported decline will continue. Every scenario is still on
   the table," he said. He described the outbreak as "very serious" with
   the "potential to grow" but said it was mostly confined to Hubei
   province."

   Ghebreyesus also said more than 80% of patients "have mild disease and
   will recover."

   The WHO said in its latest report on the virus there were 794 confirmed
   cases outside of China. Some 542 cases have been passengers on a cruise
   ship under quarantine in Yokohama, Japan, including 88 new cases
   reported Tuesday.

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