BEIJING (REUTERS) – Mainland China reported a rise in new confirmed cases of coronavirus on Wednesday (March 4), reversing three straight days of declines, because of a spike in new infections in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak. 

Mainland China had 139 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, the country’s National Health Commission said on Thursday, bringing the total accumulated number of cases to 80,409. 

The uptick on Wednesday was driven by an increase in cases in Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei, where new infections climbed to 131 from 114 a day earlier. 

But the number of new confirmed cases in Hubei, excluding Wuhan, has remained in single digits for seven consecutive days, with three new infections recorded on Wednesday. 

In the rest of mainland China, outside Hubei, there were only five new confirmed cases, fenced in by tough public health measures imposed to contain the spread of the pathogen. 

The death toll from the outbreak in mainland China had reached 3,012 as of the end of Wednesday, up by 31 from the previous day. 

Hubei, the epicentre of the outbreak, accounted for all of the new deaths. In Wuhan, 23 people died.

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