Beijing: The number of confirmed deaths from China's coronavirus outbreak rose to 360, exceeding the country's death toll from the 2002-03 SARS outbreak, after authorities in Hubei province reported 56 new fatalities Monday.
In its daily update, figures from the health commission in Hubei, which has been hit hardest by the virus, also showed a sharp increase in confirmed infections with 2,103 new cases.
Novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from common cold to acute respiratory syndromes.
The novel coronavirus started in Hubei province of China and has since spread to several countries, including two positive cases in India, both in the southern state of Kerala.
Outside China, Hong Kong and Macau, other countries with confirmed cases include Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea, Japan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Canada, the United States, United Arab Emirates, Australia, France and Germany.