Another 73 people on the Chinese mainland died on Wednesday from the coronavirus outbreak, the highest daily increase so far, bringing the total death toll to 563, the country’s health authority said on Thursday.

The National Health Commission said another 3,694 coronavirus cases were reported throughout the country on Feb 5, bringing the total to 28,018.

Hubei province, the epicentre of the epidemic, earlier reported 70 deaths on Wednesday, and 2,987 new confirmed cases - more than 80% of the total.

The other fatalities on Wednesday were in the city of Tianjin, the northeastern province of Heilongjiang and Guizhou province in the southwest.

- Reuters