Coronavirus death toll rises to 26 as hospitals in China at centre of outbreak thrown into chaos

The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak has risen to 26 as hospitals in China at the centre of the outbreak have been thrown into chaos.

The number of confirmed cases now stands at 830 , officials in Beijing have confirmed.

It comes as 10 cities in China suspended public transport services and locked down public spaces such as temples and entertainment venues.

In Wuhan city, where the virus is believed to have originated, a new 1,000-bed hospital is being built to treat victims.

At least eight hospitals in the region have issued public appeals for donations of goggles, masks, medical caps and protective suits for medical workers.

The closure of manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of medical gear over the week-long Lunar New Year holiday starting this week is exacerbating the shortages.

It comes as 14 people in the UK have been tested for the virus with five confirmed negative and nine still waiting for results, Public Health England has said.

Chinese media report that some hospitals have supplies for only three to four days and are running low on testing kits.

"If we had any other option, we'd just wait for government support (rather than issue public appeals)," said a doctor at a hospital in Wuhan, requesting anonymity.

Travel in and out of the city of 11 million people has been tightly controlled since Wednesday to keep the virus from spreading.

The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak an emergency but was yet to consider it a "public health emergency of international concern".

Speaking at a press conference, WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "Make no mistake, though, this is an emergency in China.

"But it has not yet become a global health emergency. It may yet become one."

The Scottish government had earlier confirmed that five people were undergoing tests for the virus after presenting with symptoms of the illness.

Downing Street said four suspected cases in Scotland were believed to involve Chinese nationals.

Professor Jurgen Haas, head of infection medicine at the University of Edinburgh, said he believes there will be many more potential cases in other cities in the UK.

An 80-year-old patient with coronavirus died in Hebei on Thursday - the first confirmed death outside Hubei province where the outbreak began.

Singapore confirmed two more cases of a new strain of coronavirus, it’s health ministry said on Friday, a day after identifying its first case of the infection that originated from China.

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