Virus death toll at 427; U.S. patient goes home

BEIJING — The death toll in mainland China from the new type of virus has risen to 425, with the total number of cases now standing at 20,438, officials said Tuesday.

The new figures come after the country opened a new hospital built in 10 days, infused cash into tumbling financial markets and further restricted people’s movement.

The latest figures are up from 361 deaths and 17,205 confirmed cases. Outside mainland China, at least 180 cases have been confirmed, including two deaths, in Hong Kong and the Philippines. Other countries continued evacuating citizens from hardest-hit Hubei province and restricted the entry of Chinese or people who recently traveled to the country.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, presiding over a special meeting of the country’s top Communist Party body for the second time since the crisis started, said, “We have launched a people’s war of prevention of the epidemic.”

U.S. patient feeling better

The man who became the first U.S. patient infected with the new virus from China has left the hospital and said in a statement that he is getting better and looking forward to life returning to normal, according to a statement from the unidentified man provided Monday.

The 35-year-old man thanked staff at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington, about 30 miles north of Seattle, according to the statement from the man given to the AP by hospital officials.

“I am at home and continuing to get better,” the man said. “I ask that the media please respect my privacy and my desire not to be in the public eye.”

China chides U.S. response

China’s foreign ministry said Monday that the U.S. has not helped contain the outbreak of coronavirus but has instead spread fear by imposing travel bans.

“There is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel,” Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for the Chinese foreign ministry, said in a statement.

Last week, the U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory telling Americans not to go to China because of the virus.

Hua said the U.S. has “inappropriately overreacted” by issuing the travel advisory.