China reports major drop in new virus cases; 143 new deaths
In this Feb. 13, 2020 photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, nurses in protective suits treat a patient in the intensive care unit at Ditan Hospital in Beijing, one of the hospitals in China's capital that are receiving COVID-19 patients. China on Friday reported another sharp rise in the number of people infected with a new virus, as the death toll neared 1,400.[Zhang Yuwei/Xinhua via AP]
China reported Saturday a figure of 2,641 new virus cases, a major drop from the higher numbers in recent days since a broader diagnostic method was implemented.
The number of new deaths rose slightly to 143, bringing the total fatalities in mainland China to 1,523.
Virus death toll nears 1,400 in China, with 5,090 new cases
The total number of confirmed cases in the country now stands at 66,492, according to a notice from China’s National Health Commission.
COVID-19, a disease stemming from a new form of coronavirus, has spread to more than 24 countries since December, when the first infections appeared in central China.