The nationwide death toll in China's coronavirus outbreak has risen to 213, with nearly 2,000 new cases confirmed, the National Health Commission said on Friday. On Thursday, Chinese health officials had reported a nationwide total of 38 new deaths, all but one of them in Hubei. The National Health Commission said there were 1,982 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to just under 10,000. The WHO had initially downplayed the threat posed by the disease, but revised its risk assessment after crisis talks on Thursday. Many countries have already urged their citizens not to visit China while some have banned entry for travellers from the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus first surfaced.

Source: Punch January 31, 2020 00:45 UTC