427 new coronavirus cases reported in China

BEIJING - 29 February 2020: Chinese health authority said Saturday it received reports of 427 new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection and 47 deaths on Friday on the Chinese mainland, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Among the deaths, 45 were in Hubei Province, one in Beijing and Henan respectively, according to the National Health Commission.

Another 248 new suspected cases were reported Friday, said the commission.

Also on Friday, 2,885 people were discharged from hospital after recovery, while the number of severe cases decreased by 288 to 7,664.

The commission added that 1,418 people were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

The commission said 658,587 close contacts had been traced, adding that among them, 10,193 were discharged from medical observation Friday, with 58,233 others still under medical observation.