China coronavirus cases pass 70,000

The number of deaths from the coronavirus in China rose to more than 1,700 on Monday as international experts began a joint mission with their Chinese counterparts to tackle the epidemic.

The total number of cases of so-called COVID-19 in the Asian country, most of them in the central province of Hubei, has surpassed 70,000, DW.com reports, citing the latest update from the country's National Health Commission.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said its specialists had held their first meetings with Chinese health experts as part of efforts to find out how the new virus is spreading.  

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said of the gathering on Twitter: "We look forward to this vitally important collaboration contributing to global knowledge about the #COVID19 outbreak."

In another tweet, he said: "Together, we are facing #COVID19 & we must use the window of opportunity to intensify our preparedness for it. And more than ever it’s time to let science & evidence lead policy. If we don’t, we are headed down a dark path that leads nowhere but division and disharmony."