The ability of the new coronavirus to spread is strengthening and infections could continue to rise, according to the National Health Commission in China, where nearly 3,000 people have been infected and 80 have died.
There were a total of 2,744 confirmed cases from 30 Chinese provinces and regions as of yesterday, with "51 cured and discharged patients", according to Chinese state-owned media.
China extended its Lunar New Year holiday by three days to discourage people from traveling as it tried to contain the spread of the virus.
Delaying the official end of the holiday was designed to effectively reduce mass gatherings" and "block the spread of the epidemic.
Schools will postpone reopening after the holiday until further notice.
The outbreak has prompted widening curbs on movement within China, with Wuhan — the city where the virus is believed to have started — on lockdown, with transports links all but cut off except for emergency vehicles.
A handful of cases have been reported outside China, including in Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Nepal, Malaysia, the United States and France, with health authorities around the world racing to prevent a pandemic.
The newly identified coronavirus has created alarm because there are still many unknowns surrounding it, such as how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people. It can cause pneumonia, which has been deadly in some cases.
[Source: ABC]
