Coronavirus Death Toll Hits 170 with nearly 8,000 Diagnosed Cases Worldwide

Latest reports of China’s National Health Commission confirmed the death toll has risen to 170 while the confirmed case jumped nearly 8000. The virus has now spread to every region of mainland China and at least 91 cases have been reported in 19 countries.

As the confirmed coronavirus continues to rise, the World Health Organization will has meeting on Thursday in order to discuss on the virus constitutes a global health emergency.

“In the last few days the progress of the virus, especially in some countries, especially human-to-human transmission, worries us,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday, pointing to Germany, Vietnam and Japan.

“Although the numbers outside China are still relatively small, they hold the potential for a much larger outbreak.”

The SARS outbreak took about 6 months till the number of confirmed cases hit 5,000 while coronavirus epidemic cases surpassed 7,000 in a month.

On Wednesday night, Hubei authorities announced to postpone the resumption of business until 14 February.  

Several airlines have suspended some flights to China; Lufthansa and its subsidiary airlines will suspend the flights to China until 9 February while American Airlines will stop flying from 9 February to 27 March as low demand amid the outbreak.

IKEA issued the temporary closure around half of all stores in China, as well as Google, said that 4 offices will temporarily close.