Coronavirus: China Reports 1886 New Cases, 98 New Deaths; Two More Indians On Board Quarantined Cruise Ship Tested Positive

The authorities received reports of 1,886 new cases and 98 deaths from 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

More than 1,800 new cases have been confirmed of novel coronavirus infection by Chinese health authorities on Monday. (Getty images)

Beijing: More than 1,800 new cases have been confirmed of novel coronavirus infection by Chinese health authorities on Monday. The authorities received reports of 1,886 new cases and 98 deaths from 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Among the deaths, 93 were in Hubei Province, three in Henan, and one in Hebei and Hunan respectively, according to the National Health Commission, the Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, two more Indians on board the cruise ship Diamond Princess quarantined off the coast of Japan were tested positive for coronavirus, the Indian Embassy in Tokyo said on Monday, adding that the four Indian crew members who were earlier tested positive for the virus are "stable and responding well to the treatment." A total of 99 new cases of coronavirus were reported on the ship, bringing the total number of those infected to 454, the embassy said in a statement posted on its Twitter handle. "As per the information availed with the Embassy, 99 new COVID-19 positive cases onboard Diamond Princess have been confirmed today (bringing the total number to 454). This includes two Indian crew members who have been transferred to medical facilities for necessary treatment and quarantine," the statement read.

Update (as on 17 Feb 2020) on #Indian nationals on-board the quarantined cruise ship #DiamondPrincess at #Japan@MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/cyElKgYTwD

— India in Japanインド大使館 (@IndianEmbTokyo) February 17, 2020

A joint expert team consisting of experts from China and the World Health Organization on Monday began field inspections on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak, a Chinese health official said. The expert team is scheduled to go to Beijing, Guangdong Province and Sichuan Province to conduct inspections, said Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission (NHC), at a press conference. (With inputs from agencies)