- All of the deaths reported in Hubei province, where the virus was discovered in Wuhan
- National health commission to authorise medical institutions to quarantine all patients and people in close contact with them
The coronavirus outbreak in China's Wuhan city has now killed nine people and infected 440 others across the country, Li Bin, deputy director of China's National Health Commission, said at a Wednesday morning briefing in Beijing.
All of the deaths were reported in central Hubei province, where the virus first appeared in the city of Wuhan.
The virus, which has pneumonia-like symptoms, has spread to Taiwan, the United States and three other Asian countries through people travelling from Wuhan.
The health commission would authorise medical institutions to quarantine all patients and people in close contact with them as a prevention and control measure, Li said on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the NHC upgraded the coronavirus to a Class B infectious disease but said it would use the stricter control measures for a Class A disease to handle the outbreak, meaning any infection nationwide must be reported within two hours and monitored.
More to follow…
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