By Bimbo Ogunnaike
China has confirmed a rise in the coronavirus infection rate in Hubei Province — the epicenter of the outbreak — two days after a fall in the number as the death toll from the disease nears 1,800.
Health officials reported 1,933 new cases and 100 new deaths in Hubei on Sunday, adding that the number of new cases rose nearly 5 percent from the previous day, but the number of deaths fell from 139, according to the officials.
They said nearly 90 percent of the new cases were in the provincial capital of Wuhan, a city of 11 million people.
The never-seen virus was believed to have originated at a market illegally trading wildlife in the city late last year.
Ever since, 70,548 cases were confirmed across mainland China, with 1,770 deaths.
The rise in the number of new cases came two days after health officials reported that the number of confirmed cases had slowed.
The medical officials said of 70,548 cases in mainland China, 10,844 people have so far been treated and released from hospital.
The new increase in the number of infections prompted the authorities to impose new restrictions on movement in Hubei.
Under the new restrictions imposed on Sunday, vehicles, apart from essential services, are banned from the roads in Hubei. Companies are also told to stay closed until further notice.
The fast-spread virus, which crossed the Chinese borders, has so far infected more than 500 people and killed at least five across the world.
Amid efforts to contain the virus outbreak, China is considering delaying the political annual meeting of parliament for the first time in decades, the official news agency Xinhua reported Monday.
The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress will meet on Wednesday to discuss the postponement of the meeting of the full parliament, which was planned to convene on March 5.
Some 3,000 members of the parliament were expected to gather in Beijing for about two weeks of meetings attended by President Xi Jinping and other top leaders.
The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference — an advisory body made up of around 2,000 representatives from companies, ethnic minorities, cultural organizations and other groups — takes part in the meeting every year.
Japan, the most affected country behind China, said it has repatriated 65 more of its nationals from Wuhan on Monday.
A total number of 763 Japanese nationals have so far been evacuated from the city.
More than 400 people are infected in the country.
Thailand health officials said one new case was detected on Monday, bringing the total in the country to 35 since January.
Fifteen people have recovered and return home. No death has so for recorded in Thailand.
In the meantime, Australia released more than 200 people who were quarantined at an immigration detention center in the Indian Ocean territory of Christmas Island.
They were all given the all-clear from the viral disease, official said.
