Beijing: China reported a third death case due to a mysterious virus- ‘coronavirus’ that has been spreading across different cities in the country.
Health authorities in Beijing confirmed two cases of the new coronavirus Monday.
The spread of the virus has sparked fears of a wider outbreak as the travel rush for the upcoming Chinese New Year (CNY) holidays peaks this week.
Authorities in the central Chinese city of Wuhan said, 136 new cases had been confirmed over the weekend, and a third person there died from the virus. As of late Sunday, officials said 170 people in Wuhan were still being treated in hospital, including nine in critical condition, reported BBC.
The WHO said “increased searching and testing for [the virus] among people sick with respiratory illness” had led to the jump in confirmed cases.
It said an “animal source seems the most likely source” of the virus, while there was “some limited human-to-human transmission occurring between close contacts.”
