Coronavirus outbreak: Death toll climbs as virus spreads around the world

More than 50 people are dead, all in China, as the Wuhan coronavirus continues to spread throughout Asia and the rest of the world.

Nearly 2,000 cases have been confirmed in mainland China. Nearly 40 confirmed cases have been identified outside mainland China in 13 places. And 57 million people have been affected by Beijing’s attempts to either partially or fully lock down affected cities.

Saturday is the first day of the Lunar New Year, but festivities have been canceled in Beijing, Hong Kong and other major cities to control the spread of the virus.

The US government is arranging a charter flight for diplomats in Wuhan, a source told CNN. The French government has chartered a bus to pull its citizens out of the city.

Videos and witness accounts from Wuhan attest to packed hospitals and overworked staff. A new, 1,000-bed hospital is being built on the city’s outskirts, to be ready by February 3.

President Xi Jinping said China is facing a grave situation of the rapid spreading epidemic of the deadly new coronavirus.

– CNN