HONG KONG -- The death toll from a new pneumonialike virus originating in China rose to nine on Wednesday, with more than 440 people affected across the country. Meanwhile, newly confirmed cases in Macao and the U.S., and a suspected case in Hong Kong, underscored concerns over how the coronavirus is spreading ahead of the heavily traveled Lunar New Year holidays.
Li Bin, vice minister of China's National Health Commission, at the first state-level news conference since the outbreak, said the new virus is mainly transmitted through respiratory contact, and evidence shows that the coronavirus is also spreading among members of communities. The virus first emerged in the central city of Wuhan and became public late last month.
