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Wuhan coronavirus confirmed in 29 of China’s 31 provinces

  • The deaths include the first reported outside the epicentre around Wuhan
  • Number of infected doctors and nurses higher than reported, sources say

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The virus has spread around China as authorities scramble to enforce travel restrictions. Photo: EPA-EFE
The coronavirus discovered in the city of Wuhan has spread to all but two of China’s 31 provinces, indicating that efforts to stem the outbreak with travel bans and cancellations of flights and rail services were failing.
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As of Friday night, there had been 895 cases of infection and 26 deaths in mainland China, according to Communist Party newspaper People’s Daily and Dxy.com, one of the country’s biggest online network of doctors.

The deaths included the first reported outside the epicentre of Hubei province, where Wuhan is located. One was in the northern Hebei province, neighbouring Beijing, and another was in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, about 2,400km (about 1,500 miles) from Wuhan.

Official reports said 15 medical staff in Wuhan had been infected, but two sources with direct knowledge of the situation said the number of infected doctors and nurses was much higher.

In response to the rapidly growing number of infections, China had shut down outbound transport from 13 cities and counties in Hubei by Friday morning, according to China National Radio.

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