Outbreak from new virus rises to 440 in China, with 9 dead

In this Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020, photo, workers monitor display screens for infrared thermometers as they check travelers at Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan in southern China’s Hubei province. The U.S. on Tuesday reported its first case of a new and potentially deadly virus circulating in China, saying a Washington state resident who returned last week from the outbreak’s epicenter was hospitalized near Seattle. (Chinatopix via AP)

BEIJING (AP) — The number of cases of a new virus has risen to 440 in China and the death toll has risen to 9, Chinese health authorities said Wednesday.

Deputy Director of the National Health Commission Li Bin told reporters that the figures were current as of midnight Tuesday. All the deaths had been in Hubei province, home to Wuhan city where the first illnesses from coronavirus were reported in late December.

Li said that marked an increase of 149 confirmed cases. He said Japan and South Korea had confirmed one case each and Thailand three. The U.S. and Taiwan also confirmed one case each on Tuesday.

Concerned about a global outbreak similar to SARS, another coronavirus that spread from China to more than a dozen countries in 2002-2003, numerous nations have adopted screening measures for travelers from China, especially those arriving from Wuhan.

The worries have been heightened by the coming of the Lunar New Year holiday rush, when millions of Chinese travel at home and abroad.

Officials said it was too early to compare the new virus with SARS or MERS in terms of how lethal it might be. They attributed the spike in new cases to improvements in detection and monitoring.