The number of people who have died from novel coronavirus in mainland China has risen to 3,042, a total of 80,552 have been infected and more than 53,700 have recovered, the National Health Commission said on Friday.
"At 04:00 on 5 March, 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) reported 143 new confirmed cases, 30 new deaths (29 in Hubei, and 1 in Hainan)", the statement said. "5,737 people are in critical condition, 3,042 have died, 53,726 people have been discharged from hospitals."
143 new cases of coronavirus and 30 new fatalities have been confirmed in mainland China in the past 24 hours. 29 deaths were registered in Hubei province alone, the epicentre of the outbreak.
China's response to coronavirus has been swift and sweeping. Clinical trials of a vaccine against COVID-19 in China will most likely begin in late April, Chinese vice-minister for science and technology Xu Nanping said in late February.
Outside China, a total of 14,768 people have been infected with COVID-19, with Italy, Iran, and South Korea affected most by the new disease. The death toll outside China stands at 267, according to the WHO.
In late January, the WHO declared a global health emergency in light of the epidemic.
