OUTBREAK

China Confirms Third Death as Mysterious Virus Spreads to Beijing

Hundreds of millions of people in China are expected to travel for Chinese New Year.

A third person has died from a mysterious new virus that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan last month, Chinese officials said Sunday. The announcement comes amid concerns about the spread of the illness ahead of next week’s Chinese New Year festival. China reported 139 new cases of pneumonia over the weekend caused by the coronavirus strain outbreak. Officials said that the virus spread from Wuhan to Beijing and Guangdong province. Beijing’s Daxing health commission confirmed two new cases of the virus, while Guangdong’s health commission reported one new case. Hundreds of millions of people in China are expected to travel for the holiday, which begins Jan. 24. Officials in Thailand and Japan have confirmed three cases of the virus involving people who have traveled through Wuhan.