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Coronavirus global death toll overtakes Sars epidemic fatalities

WION Web Team
New Delhi Updated: Feb 09, 2020, 09:41 AM IST
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File photo. Photograph:(Reuters)

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Nearly 37,000 people have now been infected by the virus in China alone.

The death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak soared to 811 in China, surpassing fatalities in the Sars in 2002-2003. 

The number of confirmed cases has reached a whopping 37,198 across the world with more 2,600 new cases reported in the last 24 hours.

France has announced five new cases of the coronavirus, taking a total number of those infected in the country to 11. French Prime Minister Eduardo Philippe called an emergency meeting as the new cases emerged. 

The five new cases are British citizens who are on holiday in France.

The British tourists reportedly stayed in the same ski resort where an infected Singapore national stayed.

Meanwhile, the US embassy has reported the first American casualty in the ongoing outbreak. A 60-year old woman who was being treated at a hospital in Wuhan passed away earlier today.

Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam has said that the territory is facing an acute shortage of masks and other preventive medical gear.

She said Hong Kong did not have enough masks to keep up the supply for over a month.