The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China has risen anew to 636, according to the country's National Health Commission on Friday.
Out of the total 73 new deaths reported, 69 cases were reported from Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, including 64 in the provincial capital Wuhan.
There had been a further 3,143 cases detected across the country, pushing the total number of infections up to 31,161.
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The virus has killed two people outside mainland China, one in Hong Kong and another in the Philippines. At least 25 countries have confirmed cases.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, asked for $675m to help countries address the expected spread of the virus.
Here are the latest updates:
Friday, February 7
Japan finds 41 more cases on cruise ship
Japan on Friday reported 41 new cases of a virus on a cruise ship that's been quarantined in Yokohama harbour.
Before Friday's 41 confirmed cases, 20 passengers who were found infected with the virus were escorted off the Diamond Princess at Yokohama near Tokyo. About 3,700 people have been confined aboard the ship.
Two docked cruise ships with thousands of passengers and crew members remained under 14-day quarantines in Japan and Hong Kong.
Doctor who 'sounded alarm' over outbreak dies of virus, report says
Global Times, a tabloid run by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, said Li Wenliang an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital and among the first doctors to reportedly warn about the coronavirus outbreak, died of the virus in Wuhan.
WHO said it is "deeply saddened by the passing" of the doctor, adding that everyone needs to "celebrate" the work he did on the virus.
This sketch of li wenliang one of the many things about him that are blowing up online. His death is crystallizing so much anger and frustration
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UK says citizen infected with coronavirus outside China
The third case testing positive to coronavirus in the UK was infected in an Asian country other than China, authorities said, telling doctors to be vigilant to those showing symptoms from a wider range of countries.
"Because of that, it is probably now prudent to slightly widen the geographical area where doctors in the UK and NHS know they should test people if they come with the right symptoms," said England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty.
He did not name the country from where the patient had returned. He said a wider list of countries would be released shortly from which people who developed symptoms should self-isolate if they showed any of the coronavirus symptoms.
WHO says too early to say coronavirus peaking in China
The health agency said it was too early to say that China's coronavirus outbreak was peaking, but noted that Wednesday was the first day that the overall number of new cases in the Asian country had dropped.
WHO official Mike Ryan said there had been a constant increase in cases in Hubei province but that that increase had not been seen in other regions.
Read updates from Thursday, February 6 here.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
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