China's death toll rises to 490, number of infections exceed 24,300

Workers set up infrastructure at the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center to convert it into a makeshift hospital to receive patients infected with the new coronavirus, in Wuhan, Hubei province. -Reuters

BEIJING (AFP, Reuters): The number of confirmed deaths from China’s coronavirus outbreak rose to at least 490, after the authorities in Hubei province reported 65 new fatalities on Wednesday (Feb 5).

In its daily update, figures from the health commission in Hubei, which has been hit hardest by the virus, also showed a jump in confirmed infections, with 3,156 new cases, taking the total in the province to 16,678. The death toll in the province is now 479.