Death toll in China from coronavirus rises to 3,014

By Fuat Kabakci

BEIJING (AA) - The death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak in China rose to 3,014 Thursday, according to the National Health Commission.

The commission said 31 more people died in the last 24 hours while 139 new cases were detected by authorities, with the total number of confirmed cases reaching 80,270.

The deaths occurred in the epicenter of the outbreak, Hubei province.

At least 32,870 people are currently under medical care, while the number of discharged patients totals 52,045.

It was announced that 16 makeshift hospitals established in Hubei province due to insufficient capacity will be gradually closed.

The coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to more than 30 other countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Singapore, France, Russia, Spain and India.

The World Health Organization, which already declared the outbreak an international health emergency Friday, has raised the global coronavirus alert level from high to "very high."

*Writing by Burak Dag