China coronavirus: Death toll rises as disease spreads

(FASTNEWS | Coronavirus) – Health officials in China say 15 more people have died from a coronavirus in the province of Hubei, where the outbreak first started.

There are currently 1,287 confirmed cases in China, 41 of whom have died.

It comes as China begins celebrations of the Lunar New Year, one of the most important dates in its calendar.

Many events have been cancelled and a new hospital is being built in the city of Wuhan.

One of the dead was a doctor at a hospital in Hubei, China Global Television Network reported.

The virus has also now spread to Europe, with three cases confirmed in France.

The first case was in Bordeaux, while the other two were in the Paris area, the French health minister said on Friday night.

And one case has been confirmed in Australia.