The Chinese government has confirmed the new coronavirus has killed at least 1,500 people across the country.
China's National Health Commission updated the figure on Saturday after 139 new fatalities were reported in Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak.
It also reported over 2,600 new cases of the COVID-19, with the vast majority in Hubei province, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in China to more than 66,000.
The number for the infections soared this week after authorities in Hubei started counting patients who were diagnosed through lung imaging, in addition to those who undergo lab tests.
The revision added nearly 15,000 patients to Hubei's count on Thursday alone, with the World Health Organization noting that cases going back weeks were retroactively counted.■
<Photo: Yonhap News>
