COVID-19 toll surges past 3,200 in China

Beijing, March 16 (IANS) The death toll due to the COVID-19 outbreak in China has risen to 3,213, authorities said on Monday, while the number of confirmed cases in the Asian country has surged to 80,860.Chinese health authorities reported 16 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 14 deaths on the Chinese mainland on Sunday, Xinhua reported.All of the deaths were reported in Hubei Province, according to the National Health Commission.Meanwhile, 41 new suspected cases were reported, said the commission.On Sunday, 838 people were discharged from hospital after recovery, while the number of severe cases decreased by 194 to 3,032.The overall confirmed cases on the mainland reached 80,860 until midnight, including 9,898 patients who were still being treated, 67,749 patients who were discharged after recovery, and 3,213 people who lost their lives due to the disease.The commission said that 134 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus.The commission added that 9,582 close contacts were still under medical observation. On Sunday, 1,316 people were discharged from medical observation.Twelve imported cases were reported on the Chinese mainland on Sunday. Among them, four were reported in Beijing, four in Guangdong Province, two in Shanghai, one in Yunnan Province and one in Gansu Province. Until midnight, 123 imported cases had been reported, said the commission.Until midnight, 148 confirmed cases including four deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 10 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 59 in Taiwan including one death. A total of 84 patients in Hong Kong, 10 in Macao and 20 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospital after recovery.
--IANS vin