China Reports 114 New COVID-19 Deaths and 394 New Cases (Update)

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The number of new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) across China reached 394, with 114 deaths reported. The increase in confirmed cases significantly decreased following Hubei Province's decision the previous day to adjust the scope of confirmed cases.

On the 20th, the National Health Commission of China announced that as of midnight on the 20th, the total number of new confirmed cases across all 31 provinces on the Chinese mainland was 394, with 114 deaths. The total cumulative confirmed cases in China rose to 74,576, and cumulative deaths increased to 2,118. Earlier, the Hubei Provincial Health Commission reported that as of midnight on the same day, there were 349 new confirmed cases and 108 deaths in Hubei Province.

Compared to the 1,749 new confirmed cases nationwide the previous day, the increase in confirmed cases has significantly decreased. The sharp decline in the increase is attributed to the National Health Commission of China deciding to exclude clinically diagnosed cases from the confirmed case count in Hubei Province starting the previous day, after having included them earlier. According to the Hubei Provincial Health Commission, there were 628 newly added confirmed cases the previous day, but with 279 clinically diagnosed cases excluded from the confirmed case list, only 349 cases were newly added to the confirmed case count.