China virus death toll surges past 2,000A delivery rider wears a face mask as a protective measure against the Covid-19 coronavirus as he waits to deliver packages of food and other supplies outside a residential compound in Tongzhou, east of Beijing on Tuesday. (AFP photo)The death toll from China's new coronavirus epidemic jumped past 2,000 on Wednesday after 136 more people died, with the number of new cases falling for a second straight day, according to the National Health Commission. The death toll rose to 2,004, with most of the deaths in central Hubei province, where the virus first emerged in December before spiralling into a nationwide epidemic. In its daily update, the National Health Commission reported 1,749 new cases of people infected with the virus nationwide, the lowest number of new cases this month. Outside the epicentre, there were only 56 new cases reported, falling for the 15th day in a row.

Source: Bangkok Post February 19, 2020 00:33 UTC