China new virus deaths rise to 563; 2 cruisers quarantined

China on Thursday reported 73 more deaths from a new virus, raising its total to 563, as the World Health Organization appealed for more funds to help countries battle the spread of the disease that led health officials in Asia to quarantine two cruise ships with some 5,400 people on board.

The ships in Japan and Hong Kong are caught up in a global health emergency that seems to worsen by the day.

The director-general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, asked for $675 million to help countries address the expected spread of the virus. He acknowledged that the sum is a lot, but told a news briefing that "it’s much less than the bill we will face if we do not invest in preparedness now."

Tedros said that in the last 24 hours, the U.N. health agency has seen the biggest jump in cases since the start of the epidemic. According to the latest figures early Thursday, the number of confirmed cases jumped by 3,694 to 28,018.

China has strongly defended its epidemic control measures and called on other nations not to go overboard in their responses. Countries "can assess the epidemic situation in an objective, fair, calm and rational manner, respect authoritative and professional WHO recommendations, understand and support China’s epidemic control efforts," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chenying said at an online news conference. "Fear is worse than any virus."

As thousands of hospital workers in Hong Kong went on strike to demand the border with mainland China be closed completely, the city announced that all people entering from the mainland, including Hong Kong residents, must be quarantined for 14 days. Tokyo Olympics organizers, meanwhile, said they are increasingly worried about the disruption the virus is causing ahead of the games, which open in less than six months.

To reduce the danger of exposure for health workers, Beijing is seeking to develop a robot to administer throat tests. Separately, Shanghai announced that all schools will delay reopening until at least the end of February, rather than the middle of the month as originally planned. The exact date will depend on how the outbreak develops.

As examples of anti-Asian discrimination mount, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for "international solidarity" and support for China and other countries hurt by the virus. He urged a stop to any stigmatization of innocent people.