New Delhi: The number of deaths in the coronavirus outbreak passed the 3000 mark on Monday as China reported 42 more deaths, news agencies reported.


Chinese health authorities said they have received reports of 202 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus and 42 deaths on Sunday on the Chinese mainland, Xinhua reported. All the deaths were in Hubei Province, according to the National Health Commission. Meanwhile, 141 new suspected cases have also been reported, said the commission.

As many as 2,912 people have lost their lives while the overall confirmed cases on the mainland have reached 80,026 until midnight, the commission said.

As many as 32,652 patients are still being treated and 44,462 patients have been discharged after recovery.

The commission said that 715 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

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The commission added 46,219 close contacts were still under medical observation. On Sunday, 8,154 people were discharged from medical observation.

Until midnight, 98 confirmed cases including two deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 10 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 40 in Taiwan, including one death.

Thirty-six patients in Hong Kong, eight in Macao and 12 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospital after recovery.

The virus emerged late last year in Hubei in central China, but has now spread to more than 60 countries around the world.

The United States and Australia reported their first fatalities over the weekend, while infections nearly doubled in the past 48 hours in Italy, Europe's hardest-hit country.

The World Health Organisation said Sunday that the virus appears to particularly hit those over the age of 60 and people already weakened by other illness.

(with inputs from agencies)