Coronavirus death toll now 259 in China, 11,791 confirmed cases

As many as 11,791 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been registered in China and the death toll reached 259 on Saturday, Sputnik reported citing Chinese authorities.

On the other hand, 243 people have been discharged from hospitals.

The virus originated in China's Wuhan city in December and has since then spread to various cities around the world. China has imposed quarantine and travel restrictions, affecting the movement of 56 million people in more than a dozen cities, amid fears that the transmission rate will accelerate as hundreds of millions of Chinese travel for the Lunar New Year.

Health authorities around the world are taking action to prevent a global pandemic as the virus continues to spread, with cases reported in Australia, France, the United States and seven Asian countries besides China.