The deadly coronavirus epidemic spread further outside
China on Monday with a surge of infections in
South Korea making it the biggest hotspot abroad, while authorities in Europe and the
Middle East battled worsening outbreaks.
The number of fatalities in China also continued to soar, with 150 more confirmed deaths taking the official death toll to nearly 2,600.
Chinese authorities insist they are making progress in containing the virus, citing slowing infection rates thanks to unprecedented travel lockdowns and quarantines in or near the outbreak's epicentre.