China’s Hubei Province, the epicenter of a lethal viral outbreak, reported 81 new deaths and a further 2,147 new cases of infection on Sunday morning, bringing the worldwide disease toll to over 37,000, with at least 813 fatalities.
The virus has spread worldwide to almost 30 countries. Governments have been scrambling to contain the epidemic, with multiple states banning direct flights from China. Strict quarantine regimes were implemented for citizens returning from the country.
As Beijing takes firm quarantine measures across dozens of cities, encompassing tens of millions of citizens, US President Donald Trump praised his Chinese counterpart for “sharp” leadership amid the outbreak. President Xi Jinping meanwhile said China was “fully confident and capable” of overcoming the epidemic and was already seeing positive results, adding that Beijing's long-term economic prospects would not change.