China COVID-19 toll hits 3,012 as Wuhan continues strict measures

he overall death toll in China due to the novel coronavirus increased to 3,012 with a total of 80,409 confirmed cases on Thursday, even as the city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak in the mainland, has continued strict measures in an effort to curb the virus from spreading any further.

Wuhan party chief Chen Yixin said on Wednesday that the city's battle against the fatal disease had entered a "critical" stage and ordered an inspection of people from other parts of the country still stranded in the city, the South China Morning Post reported on Thursday.

"The situation facing epidemic control in Wuhan is still complicated. We will not be able to contain the spread if we do not impose unified strict measures," Chen said.

On Thursday, mainland China reported 139 new cases, up from 119 a day earlier, as well as 31 new deaths.

In a statement, the National Health Commission said 134 of the new infections were in Hubei province, whose capital is Wuhan, with 131 in the city.

All of the latest deaths also occurred in the province, it added.

The Commission added that two imported cases were reported in Zhejiang province. By the end of Wednesday, 20 imported cases had been reported.

Globally, more than 92,000 people have tested positive and 3,100 have died.

As of Thursday morning, the number of confirmed cases outside China were reported in South Korea (5,766), Italy (3,089), Iran (2,922), Japan (1,023, including 706 on Diamond Princess), France (285), Germany (262), the US (154), Spain (151), Singapore (112), Hong Kong (104), the UK (85), Kuwait (56), Norway (56), Australia (52), Malaysia (50), Bahrain (49), Thailand (47), Taiwan (42), Switzerland (37), Canada (33), Sweden (32), Austria (29), India (29), the UAE (27), Iraq (26), Netherlands (24), Belgium (23), Iceland (16), Vietnam (16), Lebanon (13), Oman (12), Algeria (12), San Marino (10), Israel (10), Macau (10), Croatia (nine), Greece (eight), Qatar (eight), Finland (seven), Ecuador (seven), Ireland (six), Mexico (five), Pakistan (five), Czech Republic (five), Russia (four), Senegal (four), Romania (four), Portugal (four), Belarus (four), Philippines (three), Azerbaijan (three), New Zealand (three), Georgia (three), Brazil (two), Indonesia (two), Slovenia (two), Hungary (two), Estonia (two), Egypt (two), and one each in Poland, Latvia, Nigeria, Dominican Republic, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Luxembourg, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Andorra, Jordan, Tunisia, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Armenia, Argentina and Chile, according to figures issued by the South China Morning Post.

The deaths outside China were recorded in Italy (107), Iran (92), South Korea (35), Japan (12), the US (11), France (four), Hong Kong (two), Australia (two), Spain (one), San Marino (one), Taiwan (one), Thailand (one) and the Philippines (one). IANS