China on Monday extended its biggest national holiday to buy time in the fight against a viral epidemic, as the death toll spiked to 81 despite unprecedented quarantine measures and travel lockdowns. Typically hundreds of millions of people criss-cross China in jam-packed buses and trains during the Lunar New Year holiday, a time for family reunions. The central government said Monday it would extend the national holiday, initially due to end on January 30, for three days to limit population flows. China’s National Health Commission said on Monday that there were 2,744 confirmed infections nationwide, an increase of 769 from the previous day. The virus is suspected of having come from animals in a market that sold a wide range of exotic wild game.

Source: Egypt Independent January 27, 2020 06:45 UTC