The number of confirmed cases of the deadly new coronavirus in China rose to a total of 5,974 on Wednesday, overtaking the 5,327 confirmed cases of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) reported in mainland China during the 2002 epidemic, Reuters reports. The SARS outbreak led to the deaths of 770 people worldwide, with 349 deaths in mainland China. The death toll for the coronavirus has reached 132 in China. No deaths outside the country where the virus originated have been reported. Meanwhile, a U.S. plane evacuating around 200 citizens, including diplomats, touched down in Alaska, en route to Southern California’s Riverside County, where the passengers will be quarantined upon arrival to the U.S. at March Air Reserve Base.
