Updated 4:40 AM ET, Fri March 6, 2020
China's National Health Commission has confirmed the virus, which causes a disease known as Covid-19, can be transmitted from person to person through "droplet transmission" -- where a virus is passed on due to an infected person sneezing or coughing -- as well as by direct contact.
In mainland China, more than 80,500 cases of the virus and over 3,000 deaths have been recorded -- the vast majority in Hubei province, ground zero for the outbreak.
There are more than 17,300 confirmed cases of the virus in at least 85 countries and territories outside mainland China. Over 700 of those cases are linked to the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
At least 340 people have died outside of mainland China from the virus.
This is a full list of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus outside mainland China:
1. Afghanistan (1 case)
2. Algeria (12 cases)
3. Andorra (1 case)
4. Argentina (2 cases)
5. Armenia (1 case)
6. Australia (59 cases, 2 deaths)
7. Austria (41 cases)
8. Bahrain (49 cases)
9. Belarus (6 case)
10. Belgium (50 cases)
11. Bhutan (1)
12. Bosnia and Herzegovina (1 case)
13. Brazil (8 cases)
14. Chile (2 case)
15. Cambodia (1 case)
16. Canada (37 cases)
17. Croatia (6 cases)
18. Czech Republic (12 cases)
19. Denmark (3 cases)
20. Dominican Republic (2 cases)
21. Ecuador (13 cases)
22. Egypt (3 cases)
23. Estonia (1 case)
24. Finland (3 cases)
25. France (423 cases, 7 deaths)
26. Georgia (1 case)
27. Germany (349 cases)
28. Gibraltar (1 case)
29. Greece (31 cases)
30. Hong Kong (103 cases, 2 deaths)
31. Hungary (1 case)
32. Iceland (26 cases)
33. India (31 cases)
34. Indonesia (2 cases)
35. Iran (3,513 cases, 107 deaths)
36. Iraq (38 cases, 2 deaths)
37. Ireland (13 cases)
38. Israel (17 cases)
39. Italy (3,858 cases, 148 deaths)
40. Japan (1,045 cases, 12 deaths)
41. Jordan (1 case)
42. Kuwait (58 cases)
43. Latvia (1 case)
44. Lebanon (13 cases)
45. Lithuania (1 case)
46. Luxembourg (1 case)
47. Macao (10 cases)
48. Malaysia (50 cases)
49. Mexico (5 cases)
50. Monaco (1 case)
51. Morocco (16 cases)
52. Nepal (1 case)
53. Netherlands (82 cases)
54. New Zealand (4 cases)
55. Nigeria (1 case)
56. North Macedonia (1 case)
57. Norway (15 cases)
58. Oman (16 cases)
59. Pakistan (6 cases)
60. Palestine (7 cases)
61. Philippines (3 cases, 1 death)
62. Poland (1 case)
63. Portugal (8 cases)
64. Qatar (7 cases)
65. Romania (3 cases)
66. Russia (7 cases)
67. San Marino (1 case)
68. Saudi Arabia (5 cases)
69. Senegal (2 cases)
70. Singapore (117 cases)
71. Slovenia (1 case)
72. South Korea (6,593 cases, 42 deaths)
73. Spain (263 cases, 5 deaths)
74. Sri Lanka (1 case)
75. South Africa (1 case)
76. Sweden (52 cases)
77. Switzerland (18 cases, 1 death)
78. Taiwan (44 cases, 1 death)
79. Thailand (48 cases, 1 death)
80. Tunisia (1 case)
81. Ukraine (1 case)
82. United Arab Emirates (27 cases)
83. United Kingdom (116 cases, 1 death)
84. United States* (228 cases total, 14 deaths)85. Vietnam (16 cases)
*Includes presumptive positive cases from public health labs pending confirmation from the US Centers for Disease Control.
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