2,666 deaths, over 77,600 coronavirus cases confirmed in China

A pneumonia outbreak was first reported in the city of Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, in December 2019. Experts have attributed the outbreak to a novel coronavirus, COVID-19, that has since spread across China and abroad.

Here is what we know so far:

**The latest in China: **77,779 confirmed cases; 2,666 dead(including 2 in Hong Kong, 1 in Taiwan); 27,323 recovered

**Outside of China: **Over 2,600 confirmed cases, 44 deaths reported

These countries on alert:

Italy reported over 320 confirmed cases, 11 dead, topping Europe.

Iran has reported 15 deaths as its deputy health minister tested positive for the virus.

South Korea reported more than 1,100 cases and 11 deaths.