China’s Hubei province, the epicenter of a coronavirus outbreak, reported 70 new deaths and 2,987 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, the local health commission said in a notice on Thursday. The increase brings the total number of deaths in the province to 549 by the end of Feb. 5, with the total number of cases at 19,665. The number of deaths in the province on Wednesday was higher than the 65 reported the previous day, though the number of new cases fell slightly from 3,156. Hubei in central China has been in virtual lockdown for nearly two weeks, with its train stations and airports shut and its roads sealed off. ... (full story)