143 deaths on V-day add to China virus toll
China reported that 143 people died from coronavirus infection on Friday, raising the death toll to 1,523. In France, an 80-yearold Chinese tourist became the first fatality in Europe.
SHANGHAI/BEIJING—MORE than 2,600 new cases were confirmed from a coronavirus outbreak in mainland China, health officials said on Saturday, a day after people returning to the capital from holidays were ordered to quarantine themselves for 14 days.
The National Health Commission said the death toll rose by 143 to 1,523 as of Friday, Feb. 14, which saw many Chinese in cities like Beijing observing a subdued Valentine’s Day.
On Saturday, the French health ministry reported that an 80-year-old Chinese tourist had died of the virus, becoming the first fatality in Europe.
The man died of lung infection while confined at Bichat hospital in Paris, French Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said.
The total of confirmed infections across mainland China was now 66,492 after 2,641 new cases were confirmed.
Most of the new deaths were in central Hubei province and in particular the provincial capital of Wuhan, where the outbreak began in December.
National Health Commission official Liang Wannian told a news conference the government would continue to try to contain the spread of the virus in Wuhan, which has been under virtual lockdown for three weeks.
China is struggling to get the world’s second-largest economy going after the Lunar New Year holiday, which was extended by 10 days to help contain the virus.
China would maintain a prudent monetary policy and help companies resume production as soon as possible, the vice governor of the central bank told a news conference.
The official Beijing Daily newspaper said people failing to obey government orders to quarantine themselves on return from the holidays would be punished.
As an added measure, China is disinfecting and isolating used banknotes to help stop the spread of the virus.
Banks use ultraviolet light or high temperatures to disinfect yuan bills, then seal and store the cash for seven to 14 days before recirculating them.
Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi acknowledged that the coronavirus was a huge challenge, but defended the government’s management of the epidemic and lashed out at the “overreaction” of some countries.