Third death in China as Wuhan virus cases spread to other cities

Medical staff members carrying a patient into the Jinyintan hospital, where patients infected by a mysterious Sars-like virus are being treated, in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on Jan 18, 2020. - The true scale of the outbreak of a mysterious SARS-like virus in China is likely far bigger than officially reported, - AFP

BEIJING (The Straits Times/ANN): The Chinese city of Wuhan on Monday (Jan 20) reported a dramatic increase of 136 cases of the mysterious Sars-like virus, including one death, as new cases were confirmed for the first time outside the city in Beijing and Shenzhen.

The sharp spike in deteced cases comes as travelling intensifies ahead of this weekend’s Chinese New Year holidays, sparking fears that the mass human movement could contribute to the spread of disease.