Medical workers in protective gear talk with a woman suspected of being ill with a coronavirus at a community health station in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. Photo / AP
Medical workers in protective gear talk with a woman suspected of being ill with a coronavirus at a community health station in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. Photo / AP
China has reported that the deadly coronavirus has claimed 25 more lives.
The spike in reported deaths takes the number of those killed by the deadly and spreading virus in China to at least 106.
As of Tuesday, more than 4000 people have been infected across China, the bulk of them in and around Wuhan, the epicentre and newly pinpointed source of the outbreak of the virus.
A medical worker in protective gear checks a patient suspected of being ill with coronavirus at a community health station in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. Photo / AP
Most of the 106 who have died were in that region, but officials have confirmed multiple deaths elsewhere, including the first in the capital Beijing.
There were 1,771 new cases confirmed, raising the national total to 4515, according to the National Health Commission. It said 976 were in serious condition.
More than 45 cases have been confirmed elsewhere in the world. Almost all involve Chinese tourists or people who visited Wuhan.
Sri Lanka confirmed its first case. Infections also have been confirmed in the United States, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, France, Canada and Australia.
Of the five cases of the virus in Australia, all those diagnosed arrived in the country from Wuhan. The patients are being treated in hospitals in Sydney and Melbourne. There have been no confirmed cases in New Zealand.
Macau, a gambling hub hugely popular with mainland tourists, has confirmed six cases as of Tuesday.
In Hong Kong, eight people are known to have the disease. Of those, six arrived via a newly built high-speed train terminal that connects the city to the mainland.
A health official scans the body temperature of a passenger as she arrives at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia. Photo / AP
The US Consulate in Wuhan, where authorities cut off most access January 22 in an effort to contain the disease, is now preparing to fly its diplomats and some other Americans out of the city.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the Australian Government is "exploring all opportunities" to help with evacuation of a number of Australians reportedly in Wuhan, according to AP. She didn't elaborate. Australia doesn't have a consular presence in Wuhan.
Japan, France, Mongolia and other governments also were preparing evacuations.
A poster warning about coronavirus is seen as passengers wear masks in a departure lobby at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea. Photo / AP
China had expanded its already sweeping disease-control efforts by extending the end of this week's Lunar New Year holiday, the country's busiest travel season, by three days to Sunday to keep the public at home and reduce the risk infection will spread.
Mongolia has closed its vast border with China and Hong Kong and Malaysia announced they were barring entry to visitors from Hubei province. Chinese travel agencies were ordered to cancel group tours nationwide.
A woman wears a mask following the outbreak of a new virus as people arrive from the International terminal at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Photo / AP
Wuhan is building two hospitals, one with 1500 beds and another with 1000, for the growing number of infected patients. The first is scheduled to be finished next week. The virus is from the coronavirus family that includes the common cold but also more severe illnesses like SARS and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. The new virus causes cold and flu-like symptoms, including cough and fever, and in more severe cases, shortness of breath and pneumonia.
A women wearing a protective face mask delivers a leaflet on coronavirus in Wuhan, in Hong Kong. Photo / AP
The virus is thought to have spread to people from wild animals sold at a market in Wuhan. On Sunday, authorities banned trade in wild animals and urged people to stop eating meat from them.
