Feb 11 , 2020. 3 hours ago – 07:30 KYODO NEWS

BEIJING – The death toll in an outbreak of a new pneumonia-causing coronavirus has exceeded 1,000 in China, the Hubei Province said Tuesday.

The central province of Hubei, which has been at the center of the epidemic, said it has seen 103 new deaths and 2,097 new infections, bringing the totals across the mainland to 1,011 and over 42,000, respectively.

The virus, first detected late last year in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, has so far killed more people than the 2002-2003 SARS coronavirus pandemic that sickened 8,098 and claimed the lives of 774 globally.

But the fatality rate of around 2 percent in the latest epidemic is lower than that of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, which recorded about 10 percent.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters on Monday that 27 foreigners in the nation have been diagnosed with the new virus, including a U.S. citizen and a Japanese man in his 60s, both who died late last week.

On the same day, a large number of companies and stores restarted operations in many parts of China after the end of the extended Lunar New Year holiday, amid lingering fears that more people could become infected as they come into contact with others.

Japanese automakers and other manufacturers operating in China also resumed work, with local authorities stepping up measures to prevent the spread of the virus, such as checking the temperatures of all people who use public transportation and spraying antiseptic.

The weeklong holiday began on Jan. 24, but the Chinese government said on Jan. 27 this would be extended until Feb. 2 as the number of coronavirus cases multiplied. In addition, many businesses remained shut last week at the behest of local governments.

CR: KYODO NEWS