A viral outbreak that began in China has infected more than 34,800 people globally.
Most of the deaths have been in central Hubei province, where illnesses from the new type of Coronavirus were first detected in December.
A World Health Organization-led international team investigating the coronavirus outbreak will leave for China on Monday or Tuesday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Saturday.
The death toll in mainland China rose to 723 on Saturday, the WHO said, looking likely to pass the 774 deaths recorded globally during the 2002-2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Across mainland China, the number of cases stood at 34,598.
The latest figures reported by global health authorities as of Saturday in Beijing:
- China: 722 deaths and 34,546 confirmed cases on the mainland.
- Japan: 90
- Singapore: 33
- Thailand: 32
- South Korea: 24
- Taiwan: 16
- Malaysia: 16
- Australia: 14
- Germany: 14
- Vietnam: 13
- United States: 12. Separately, one U.S. citizen died in China
- France: 11
- United Arab Emirates: 7
- Canada: 6
- Philippines: 3 cases, including 1 death
- United Kingdom: 3
- India: 3
- Italy: 3
- Britain: 3
- Russia: 2
- Belgium: 1
- Nepal: 1
- Sri Lanka: 1
- Sweden: 1
- Spain: 1
- Cambodia: 1
- Finland: 1
