Coronavirus outbreak: Death toll soars to 560 in China, 27,300 people infected

The number of confirmed fatalities from China’s coronavirus outbreak has reportedly soared past 560 as the Health authorities in China confirmed 70 new deaths on Thursday in the Hubei province, the epicentre of the virus. As many as 2,987 recent cases of confirmed infection from the disease have been detected by the Health Commission in Hubei, spiking the figures to more than 27,300 national counts, reported the government of China to the media. The epidemic which has now spiralled into a global health emergency was declared by the World Health Organization a pandemic of international concern.

Shortage of equipment and materials

Hu Lishan, an official in Wuhan, warned on Wednesday that despite building a hospital from scratch and converting public buildings to accommodate thousands of new cases of the patients, there was still a severe lack of beds in the region, according to the reports. There was also a shortage of equipment and materials, he told reporters, adding that officials were looking to convert the hotels and schools in the city into treatment centres to provide immediate medical assistance.

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The virus has reportedly sparked global concerns as the cases of Wuhan Virus detected in more than 20 countries worldwide. The Health authorities have dispatched hundreds of medics to help deal with an uncontrollably soaring number of patients impacted from the novel coronavirus in China's central metropolis of Wuhan, health authorities confirmed to the media.

In a separate development, passengers aboard two cruise ships are reportedly stranded off the coasts of Japan and Hong Kong after they test positive for coronavirus. The aviation industry in Hong Kong has taken a worse hit, with flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd announcing a three-week unpaid leave for 27,000 workers and Airbus halting production in Tianjin, suggest reports.

Belgium reported its first confirmed case, one amongst the nine Belgian nationals repatriated on Sunday from Wuhan City, Health Minister Maggie De Block said at an international press conference. 

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