UPDATE 1-China's Hubei reports 70 new deaths on Feb 5 -health commission

China's Hubei province, the epicentre of a coronavirus outbreak, reported 70 new deaths and 2,987 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, the local health commission said in a notice on Thursday.

The increase brings the total number of deaths in the province to 549 by the end of Feb. 5, with the total number of cases at 19,665. Hubei in central China has been in virtual lockdown for nearly two weeks, with its train stations and airports shut and its roads sealed off. The coronavirus was first identified in Hubei's provincial capital of Wuhan and is believed to have originated at a seafood market in the city.

The number of deaths on Wednesday was higher than the 65 reported on the previous day, though the number of new cases fell slightly from 3,156. The province's healthcare infrastructure has come under heavy pressure as a result of the epidemic. The commission said as many as 14,314 people were still undergoing treatment on Wednesday, with 2,328 still in a serious condition.

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