Death toll from coronavirus rises to 426

BEIJING, Feb 4 (MENA) - The death toll in mainland China from the coronavirus outbreak has risen to 426, with the total number of cases worldwide now standing at 20,626, officials said on Tuesday.

It comes after the country opened a new hospital built in 10 days, infused cash into tumbling financial markets and further restricted people's movement in hopes of containing the rapidly spreading virus and its escalating impact, The Daily Mail reported.

Despite this, the death toll rose by a daily record 65 from Monday to Tuesday, the National Health Commission confirmed, up from 361 deaths and 17,205 confirmed cases previously.

There are at least 151 cases in 23 other countries and regions, including the United States, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong and Britain.

Out of the 20,626 afflicted with the virus, 14 per cent are in a critical condition - though 653 have now recovered so far.

All of the new deaths on Tuesday were in central Hubei province, the epicentre of the virus outbreak.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the flu-like virus a global emergency, although experts say much is still unknown about the pathogen including its lethality.