Death toll crosses 1,700 from new coronavirus in China

The death
toll from new coronavirus epidemic crossed 1,700 in China today after 100 more
people died in the hard-hit Hubei province. In its daily , the province’s
health commission also reported 1,933 new cases.

At least 70,400 people have now been infected nationwide. Most are in Hubei, where the virus first emerged in December before spiralling into a nationwide epidemic.

World Health
Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that it is impossible to
predict which direction this epidemic will take. International experts have
arrived in Beijing and begun meeting with their Chinese counterparts over the
epidemic.