The death toll from the coronavirus that began in China and has since spread to several other countries, including the United States, rose to 41 while the number of confirmed cases in China increased to over 1,200, authorities said Saturday. The uptick comes as China expands its unprecedented lockdown of 39 million people to contain the reach of the pneumonia-like virus. Cases have been reported in 29 Chinese provinces, with 572 cases alone coming out of Wuhan, where the outbreak began, the South China Morning Post reported. Hubei, the province where Wuhan is located, saw 39 deaths as a result of infection, according to data released by local governments. The city was granted a $288 million emergency loan from the China Development Bank to assist with virus prevention and treatment, the paper reported.

Source: Fox News January 25, 2020 02:15 UTC