A U.S. citizen has died from the novel coronavirus at the epicenter of the epidemic in China. This is the first confirmed foreign death from the outbreak.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, a 60-year-old United States citizen had died from the virus at Jinyintian Hospital, in Wuhan, on February 6.
Those familiar with the matter said the person was a woman who had underlying health conditions.
"We offer our sincerest condolences to the family on their loss. Out of respect for the family's privacy, we have no further comment," said the United States Embassy in Beijing, Washington Post reports.
Japan also reported its first death of suspected coronavirus in Wuhan on Saturday, said an announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Japanese man in his 60s had pneumonia. The cause of pneumonia as indeterminate.
According to China's National Health Commission, as of Saturday morning local time, there had been 811 deaths from the virus in the mainland.
Wuhan is the epicenter of the outbreak and the capital of Hubei province, where most deaths and confirmed cases are situated.
Among the cases, 699 deaths and nearly 25,000 confirmed cases occurred in Hubei, according to the province's figures. There are around 545 people in Wuhan have died from the outbreak by the end of Friday.
The U.S. government is offering up to $100 million to China and other countries affected by the deadly coronavirus to combat its spread, as the death toll rises in China to 722.
"This commitment - along with the hundreds of millions generously donated by the American private sector - demonstrates strong U.S. leadership in response to the outbreak," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Friday, according to The New York Times.
Masks were touted as a "strategic resource" and experts underscore the most protective masks to be reserved for medical workers amid global shortages.
Beijing authorities warned that lying about having contact with someone with coronavirus contacts could be punishable by death. They have taken the unparalleled step of trying to quarantine entire cities in Hubei. Roads are blocked, train stations are closed and flights are canceled.
Two deaths outside the mainland were a Wuhan man in the Philippines and a local man in Hong Kong.
It is unclear why the recently deceased U.S. citizen was unable to evacuate Wuhan, where the State Department extracted about 530 citizens on two flights this week.
The coronavirus reportedly originated from a public market in Wuhan where wild animals were sold as delicacies.The global death toll for the novel coronavirus has surpassed that of the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s.
Travel restrictions around the globe have been implemented to limit the spread of the virus. The U.S. now bars entry for any foreign nationals who have recently been to China, while Japan has taken a more measured approach, barring only foreigners who have been to the Hubei province as well as holders of Chinese passports issued in Hubei.
Dr. Robert R. Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the CDC remains "vigilant" in its efforts to prevent further spread and impact of the deadly virus.
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