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Caronavirus Death Toll Continues to Soar, Now at 563

VOA News

   The death toll stemming from the coronavirus in China continued to rise
   Thursday as Wuhan authorities reportedly were ordered to round up all
   infected city residents.
   Officials said Thursday 563 people have died from the virus, an
   increase of 73 from nearly 500 the day before, and that the number of
   confirmed cases climbed to 28,018. Thursday's death toll marked the
   highest one-day total of fatalities since the outbreak began in
   December.

   There are about 150 confirmed cases in 23 other countries, including
   one death in the Philippines -- the first outside of China, and one
   death in Hong Kong.

   The Chinese physician who publicly warned of a virus in December has
   died of the coronavirus, according to multiple state media reports.
   After his warning, police accused Dr. Li Wenliang of "spreading rumors
   online" and "severely disrupting social order."

   Vice Premier Sun Chunlan ordered Wuhan authorities to gather all
   infected residents in the city of 11 million people and isolate,
   quarantine, or place them in certain hospitals, according to The New
   York Times.

   Wuhan was first put on lockdown two weeks ago, followed quickly by an
   expansion throughout the Hubei Province, of which Wuhan is the capital,
   and its 50 million people.

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