Death toll in China from coronavirus reaches 3,072

By Fuat Kabakci

BEIJING (AA) - The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in China rose to 3,072 Saturday, according to the National Health Commission.

Authorities said 28 people died in the last 24 hours while 99 new cases were detected, with the total number of confirmed cases reaching 80,651.

At least 22,177 people are currently under medical care and the number of discharged patients stands at 55,404.

It was earlier announced that 16 makeshift hospitals established in Hubei province -- epicenter of the outbreak -- would be gradually closed due to insufficient capacity.

First detected in Wuhan, China in December, the virus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to more than 80 countries.

The global death toll is nearing 3,500, with around 100,000 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

As part of efforts to contain the outbreak, governments have closed borders and suspended land and air travel with the worst-affected countries such as China, Iran and Italy.

The WHO, which had declared the outbreak an international health emergency, recently updated the global risk level to “very high.”

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara