China's finance ministry said on Sunday all levels of government had allocated a total of 71.85 billion yuan ($10.26 billion) as of Saturday afternoon to fight coronavirus.

The ministry will deploy the funds to ensure that members of public can afford diagnosis and treatment, it said in a statement on its website.

The funds will also be used to ensure that efforts of every region to fight the virus are not hampered by financial constraints, it added. 

A day after voting in Delhi Assembly elections, the Congress on Sunday rubbished the exit poll results, most of which predicted little or no change in the party's fortunes from 2015 polls, saying the result on February 11 will "surprise everyone".

  

Almost all exit polls predicted little change in the fortunes of the Congress, which had ruled the city between 1998 and 2013 but drew a blank in the 2015 polls. 

"Let others celebrate the exit poll results. I am confident that the results on February 11 will startle everyone," chief spokesperson of Delhi Congress Mukesh Sharma said.

The party's Delhi unit president Subhash Chopra told reporters that all his party candidates contested with full strength. "There are at least 20 candidates of the Congress who were involved in keen triangular contests. We reject the exit poll results."

Congress contested the Delhi Assembly polls in alliance with the Rashtriya Janta Dal.  It fielded candidates on 66 seats leaving four for the RJD.

"We fielded the best candidates on all seats, campaigned sincerely and are positive of good performance," said Sharma who himself contested from Vikaspuri seat.

If Congress sources are to be believed, the party hopes to win some seats provided the minorities voters chose it over the AAP. "There are nearly 10 seats that Congress has a good chance of winning. However, it will depend on how the minorities voters cast their votes," they said.

The final voter turnout in the Delhi polls was 62.59 per cent, down from 67.47 per cent in 2015 assembly election, with exit polls predicting an easy win for AAP, which sought to retain power on development plank, against the BJP that ran an aggressive campaign centred around the issues of anti-CAA protests and nationalism.

Actor Kalki Koechlin and boyfriend Guy Hershberg have become parents to a baby girl.

 

The 36-year-old actor took to Instagram and shared a picture, writing, "Please welcome Sappho", amid speculation around her birth that surfaced late Saturday evening.

The actor seems to have named her daughter after the famous Greek poet, Sappho, whom she also quoted in her Instagram post.

"Born 07/02/20. She just spent 9 month wrapped up like a momo in my uterus. Let's give her some space. Thank you for all the good wishes and positive energy pouring in," she wrote.

Kalki announced last year that she was expecting her first child with Guy, a classical pianist from Jerusalem.

The "Dev D" actor, in her long Instagram post, said she has respect for all the women, who go through the "intense and gruesome experience of birth."

Ending her post with a poem by Sappho, widely regarded as one of the greatest lyric poets, Kalki wrote, "Some say an army of horsemen or infantry, A fleet of ships is the fairest thing on the black earth, but I say it's what one loves"

Civil society and educated youth must go the villages to counter the agenda of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, said actor Sushant Singh at an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act gathering at Haj House in Mumbaion Sunday.

Among those who spoke at the gathering, which was attended by hundreds of women, were former IIT professor and activist Ram Puniyani and former principal of St Xavier's College Father Frazer Mascarenhas.

"We have to remove communalism from the Indian fabric. Through a sustained campaign, we may be able to put an end to CAA-NRC, but the threat of communalism will remain," Singh

said.

"Members of civil society and educated youth must go to the villages to counter the RSS agenda," he added.

The final voter turnout in the Delhi polls was 62.59 per cent, senior officials said on Sunday.

  

Elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly were held on Saturday.

"The final voter turnout was recorded at 62.59 per cent," a senior official in the Delhi CEO's office said.

In the 2015 Assembly polls, Delhi had recorded a voter turnout of 67.47 per cent.

Exit polls on Saturday predicted an easy win for the Aam Aadmi Party, which sought to retain power on development plank, against the BJP that ran an aggressive campaign centred around the issues of anti-CAA protests and nationalism.

A book against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act written by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was sold out six days after it was launched in the International Kolkata Book Fair, her publisher said.

Titles favouring and opposing the CAA and the proposed nationwide NRC authored by others were also on high demand in the 12-day book fair which concluded on Sunday.

"All the 1,000 copies of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's new title 'Nagarikatta Aatanko' (Fear of Citizenship) were sold out this afternoon. It was launched on

February 4 in the book fair," Apu Dey said on behalf of the publishers, Dey's Publishing.

In her book, the TMC supremo talks about the "barbaric uncertainty which has gripped India in the sphere of politics-economy-society everywhere."

The book was sold from the stall of Trinamool Congress mouthpiece 'Jago Bangla', apart from the pavilion of the Dey's Publishing.

"Since 1993 my books on contemporary issues have been published in every book fair, which reflects my views, thinkings, opinions everything. This year the people's

movement against CAA, NPR and NRC prompted me to chronicle my views which salute the uprising against divisive politics," she wrote in the book.

Another book of poems by Banerjee, which touches on contemporary issues, had also been sold out, Dey said.

BJP leader and Union Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday said that misinformation is being spread around the Citizenship Amendment Act and stressed that the citizenship of all Indians is safe.

"Misinformation is being spread that Indian Muslims will be made to leave under this law. The law is not applicable to any Indian citizen," said the minister. "The Congress and the people who are opposing the bill should let us know as to how many Pakistani Muslims they want to give citizenship to. They should make a list. If someone wants Indian Citizenship, then there is a provision in the 1955 Citizenship Act," he added.

He reiterated that the citizenship of Indians is not under any threat and said, "Citizenship of all Indian Muslims is safe, and till the time Modi ji is in power, the citizenship of any Indian will not come into question. It never did, it never will."

At the all-party meeting of Shiv held on Sunday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said, "I don't have to prove my Hindutva because my Hindutva is that of Balasaheb Thackeray's, which is very pure."

"I did not change my flag...the whole world knows what is our Hindutva," Uddhav Thackeray said.

Uddhav Thackeray's comment came in the wake of a mega rally -- 'mahamorcha' -- led by the Raj Thackeray's party MNS. The march, which began 12 noon, was organised demanding deportation of illegal immigrants from Pakistan and Bangladesh who have been living in India.

Meanwhile, all Shiv Sena leaders attended meeting at the party office in south Mumbai's Sahyadri, which MLA Dilip Lande said was called to discuss the developmental work of Maharashtra and the development of farmers.

Later, during the meeting, all party MLAs were briefed about CAA and NRC by the government officials.

The first meeting of 'Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra' Trust -- set up for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya -- will be held on February 19, BJP leader Kameshwar Choupal said on Sunday.

Choupal is also one of the fifteen members of the Trust which has been tasked with the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, as mandated by the Supreme Court in its decision.

The announcement regarding the formation of the 15-member trust was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month.

"The trust will be autonomous and independent to take decisions on issues related to renovation and construction of Ram temple. We have spoken to the Uttar Pradesh government and five-acre land will be given to Sunni Wakf Board," said Prime Minister Modi.

Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday said Congress president Sonia Gandhi should send her son Rahul Gandhi to a "political playschool" so that he can learn "decency and language etiquette".

Naqvi was replying to a question by reporters in Madhya Pradesh about Congress Lok Sabha member Rahul Gandhi's recent remark that in the next six months, the youth would hit Prime Minister Narendra Modi with sticks if he doesn't address the issue of unemployment in the country.

"The Congress leaders walk around with an axe in their hands and hit their own foot with it every time they get a chance. I want to give an advice to Congress leaders, specially Sonia Gandhi, to send her 'pappuji' to a political playschool so that he can learn the ABCD of politics, dignity, decency and language etiquettes," he said.

Criticising Rahul Gandhi, the minister said, "No one with the right mental balance would talk about hitting a prime minister, who is elected by the public, with sticks."

Asked about the exit polls predicting a comfortable victory for the Aam Aadmi Party in the Delhi Assembly polls, Naqvi said "What should we comment on exit poll trends? Let the results come out".

As the deadly coronavirus claimed the lives of 811 people in China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday wrote a letter to President Xi Jinping, expressing India's solidarity with people of China over Coronavirus outbreak.

In the letter, the PM condoled the lives lost due to the coronavirus outbreak in China and offered India's assistance to deal with the situation. 

He also thanked Xi for offering assistance in evacuation of Indians from China's Hubei province.

A statue of Mahatma Gandhi was found vandalised in Hazaribagh on Sunday.

Soon after the incident was reported, police started an investigation to ascertain whether the statue fell on its own or was deliberately vandalised. 

"We are investigating to ascertain whether the statue fell itself or was vandalised. We are also checking CCTV footage and questioning some people in the area," police said. 

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said it was "absolutely shocking" that the Election Commission has not released the final turnout percentage of assembly polls held yesterday in the national capital.

"Absolutely shocking. What is EC doing? Why are they not releasing poll turnout figures, several hours after polling?" Kejriwal tweeted.

Voting for the Delhi assembly election closed at 6 pm on Saturday. Nearly 22 hours later, the Election Commission is yet to release how many of the 1.47 crore eligible residents voted. The data is usually released on the same evening of the polls.

Senior JD-S leader and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda has called upon all the regional parties and secular parties to join hands with the Congress and work in tandem to take on the BJP.

    

Noting that mere speeches would not help, he said the regional and secular parties should enhance their strength politically in the country.

    

"We all need to join together with Congress and work in tandem with the available strength only then will we be able to stop them (the BJP)," the JD(S) supremo said at a public meeting organised by the party in Hassan district on Saturday.

Gowda cautioned the regional and secular parties against sitting idle watching the developments in the country.

"If the small and regional parties do not exercise the powers given by Dr B R Ambedkar to the country, they (BJP) are going to the extent of finishing them up," he said.

Interestingly, the JD-S patriarch, had in the run-up to the December bypolls to Karnataka assembly said he would not align with the Congress and dubbed it as "not trustworthy."

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari on Sunday said that as per the survey conducted by his team, the results of the assembly elections in Delhi will be in his party's favour.

"Our teams have done surveys and results will come in favour of the BJP. We will get more than 48 seats as per the survey done by us by talking to people and going to booths," Delhi BJP president Tiwari said. 

When asked about the exit polls that show AAP gaining a majority, he said, "These exit polls are going to fail."

"Exit polls came at 6:30 pm, however, voting was on till 7:30 pm. So how can you show exit polls when people are still voting," he questioned.

On the protests in Shaheen Bagh, the BJP MP said, "People who are protesting there are misguided and the protest is politically motivated. They (protestors) say CAA will take citizenship away which is not the case. They say take NRC back but NRC has not come yet, so it is politically motivated."

"Some (protestors) are already leaving and the rest will go away after February 11," he added. 

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday unveiled the first look of the biopic based on the life of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

The film is being helmed by Hollywood directors Johnny Martin and Jagadeesh Daneti. 

Addressing the media, Javadekar said, "I am happy to launch the first look of the biopic on APJ Abdul Kalam. I am happy because its a co-production of Johnny Martin, Jagadeesh Daneti and Suvarna Pappyu, managing director of Pink Jaguar entertainment. They have lined up five projects, all from pride India like Shivaji, 1857 war of independence mainly to be shot in India; it will be of international standards and I hope people will like it."

"We will be happy to release this in our I&B theatre as well in Delhi," he added.

Remembering former President Kalam, Javadekar said that he was a great personality and was known for his scientific intelligence.

"Major credit to Kalam Ji for the great success achieved by our country in the satellite projects. 'Be simple, be grounded and you can win the hearts of people' is his biographical message," he said.

Filmmakers Martin and Daneti are both excited about the project. Speaking about the same, Martin said: "It will be a great project and good to work with Jagadeesh Daneti. I see his movies and he watches mine, I hope we can produce a good movie together."

"Biopic of APJ Abdul Kalam will be released in 2020 itself. We will shoot the movie in 20 days and in the next six months we'll carry out the background work," said director Daneti. 

The Mumbai Police has made elaborate security arrangements in view of Raj Thackerays Maharashtra Navnirman Sena holding a mega morcha or demonstration in Mumbai on February 9.

Heavy police deployment will be witnessed on the route where MNS will hold its Mahamorcha demonstration to show their support for the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and demanding eviction of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Thousands of MNS workers are expected to attend the Mahamorcha that is set to begin at 12 noon today from Hindu Gymkhana along Marine Drive to the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai. After the demonstrators reach Azad Maidan, they will be addressed by Raj Thackeray. 

Apart from local police, personnel of the State Reserve Police Force (DRPF), Riot Control Police, Quick Response Teams, Bomb Detection and Disposal Squads (BDDS), and additional 600 policemen will be deployed on the morcha route," the Mumbai Police spokesperson said.

The MNS chief Thackeray had earlier said that the party will conduct a huge rally on February 9 in Mumbai to drive infiltrators out of India.  

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is in Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a day-long visit to take part in Ravidas Jayanti programmes, the party's Uttar Pradesh unit said.

  

On her arrival at the airport, she was greeted by senior Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders, including state unit president Ajay Kumar Lallu, and other party workers.

During the day, Priyanka Gandhi will participate in Ravidas Jayanti programmes.

A 14th century saint, Ravidas is revered in Buddhism, Sikhism and Hinduism. He was born in Varanasi and was a leading figure of the Bhakti Movement.

Sant Ravidas left behind a great legacy and a 21st century cult called Ravidassia follows his teachings.

Internet services have been snapped across Jammu and Kashmir as a precautionary measure on the eve of Afzal Guru's death anniversary. Afzal Guru was convicted for his role in the 2001 Parliament attack and was hanged on February 9, 2013.

A bandh has also been called by the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front on the death anniversary of Afzal Guru and also on February 11, which is the death anniversary of Maqbool Bhat -- founder of the organisation National Liberation Front.

A complete shut down is being observed across Kashmir as part of the strike called by the JKLF on the death anniversary of Afzal Guru.

According to reports, normal life has been thrown out of gear as shops and businesses remained closed in Srinagar. Public transport is also off roads.

J&K Police has filed an FIR against the JKLF leaders who had called for a strike call.

Both Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat were hanged in the Tihar jail. Afzal Guru was hanged in 2013, while Maqbhool Bhat was in 1984.

After exit polls predicted a dismal performance by the Congress in the Delhi assembly elections, the grand old partys in-charge of the national capital, PC Chacko on Sunday looked at its prospects after the votes are counted. 

All the five exit polls on Saturday said the AAP is all set to retain power in Delhi with a second consecutive victory. They projected the AAPs win by a two-thirds majority with the party getting anything between 47 seats to 68 seats in the assembly of 70 members.

PC Chacko dismissed the exit polls, which estimated the Congress would come a distant third, and spoke about the possibility of an alliance with Arvind Kejriwals Aam Aadmi Party.

It depends on the results. Once results are out then only we can discuss it, PC Chacko said when he was asked about the possibility of an alliance between the Congress and AAP.

I think the surveys are not correct. Congress is likely to do better than what surveys predict, he also said.

The five exit polls projected AAPs win by a two-thirds majority and most said the Bharatiya Janata Party will be able to improve with baggings more seats that from the last assembly elections in 2015, when it won just three.

Rajinikanth, 69, waited 22 years to announce his entry into politics after giving a call against then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 1996. And more than two years after he made that announcement on December 31, 2017, top players in Rajini Makkal Mandram, an outfit launched by the actor, and his close aides confirm that the party will be launched in April.

While the name has not been announced, a top office-bearer of Rajini Makkal Mandram said the launch could be any time after April 14.

Many believe Rajinikanth leans towards the BJP politically and is influenced by Chennai-based RSS leader S Gurumurthy. Tamilaruvi Manian is believed to play the role of a political strategist and mentor for the actor in routine affairs.

A source with access to Rajinikanths inner circle asserted that the BJP will definitely help the actor run the show. The BJP may or may not join his alliance but irrespective of a deal, the BJP will definitely help Rajinikanth, as their aim is to defeat DMK in Tamil Nadu, the source said.

Suspected coronavirus patient in Odisha has tested negative and has been discharged from a state-run hospital in Cuttack, authorities of the medical institution said on Sunday.

Earlier, two medical students admitted to the hospital had also tested negative, they said.

The remaining patient, who was admitted to the coronavirus isolation special ward of the SCB Medical College and Hospital, was discharged on Saturday after reports from

Pune's National Institute of Virology verified he was not infected, hospital authorities said.

The person, who hails from Jagatsinghpur district, is an engineer working with a Beijing-based firm and had recently visited Hong Kong, they said.

He was admitted to the hospital after he showed symptoms of novel coronavirus, the authorities said.

The state government has set up a special isolation ward with 84 beds in the hospital to treat patients suspected to be infected by the novel coronavirus.

Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Rev Filipe Neri Ferrao, has urged the central government to "immediately and unconditionally revoke the Citizenship Amendment Act" and stop quashing the "right to dissent".

He also appealed to the government not to implement the proposed countrywide National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register.

Diocesan Centre for Social Communications Media, a wing of the Goa Church, in a statement on Saturday said, "The Archbishop and the Catholic community of Goa would like to appeal to the government to listen to the voice of millions in India, to stop quashing the right to dissent and, above all, to immediately and unconditionally revoke the CAA and desist from implementing the NRC and the NPR."

The CAA, NRC and NPR are "divisive and discriminatory" and will certainly have a "negative and damaging effect" on a multi-cultural democracy like ours, the church said.

There is serious concern that NRC and NPR will result in "direct victimisation of the underprivileged classes, particularly Dalits, adivasis, migrant labourers, nomadic communities and the countless undocumented people who, after having been recognised as worthy citizens and voters for more than 70 years, will suddenly run the risk of becoming stateless and candidates for detention camps," it said.

There has been widespread discontent and open protests throughout the country and even abroad against the CAA, NRC and NPR, which are "forecasting a systematic erosion of values, principles and rights" that have been guaranteed to all citizens in the Constitution, the release said.

Eminent citizens, including top intellectuals and legal luminaries, have taken a studied and unequivocal stand against the CAA, NRC and NPR, it noted.

Goa also witnessed several protests, which transcended the confines of religious and caste affiliation and brought people from all walks of life together on one united platform, said the statement.

It said Christians in India have always been a peace-loving community and deeply committed to the ideals of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity, enshrined in the Constitution.

"We have always taken great pride that our beloved country is a secular, sovereign, socialist, pluralistic and democratic republic," the church said.

The very fact that CAA uses religion goes against the secular fabric of the country, it said. "It goes against the spirit and heritage of our land which, since times immemorial, has been a welcoming home to

all, founded on the belief that the whole world is one big family," the church said.

"We pray for our beloved country, that good sense, justice and peace prevail in the hearts and minds of all," it added.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has prohibited making TikTok videos inside the Golden Temple in the wake of such videos showing the visitors dancing and playing songs, going viral on social media.

The SGPC, the apex religious body of Sikhs, on Saturday pasted posters inside the Golden Temple complex, warning devotees not to shoot TikTok videos inside the Harmandir Sahib.

'TikTok is prohibited here,' read one such poster. The move comes a day after Giani Harpreet Singh, head priest of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, had said banning mobile phones inside the Golden Temple complex would have to be 'thought over' if visitors continued to shoot TikTok videos inside the holiest Sikh shrine.

TikTok is a short-video platform which is extremely popular among youngsters globally, including India.

Owned by China-based ByteDance, it has about 200 million users in India.

"We want all devotees to visit the Golden Temple without any hassle and are not in favour of imposing any such (mobile) ban, but the way the incidents of TikTok are surfacing, I think imposing the ban on carrying mobile phones inside (Golden Temple) will have to be pondered over in the future," Jathedar had told reporters in Amritsar on Friday.

The Jathedar (head priest) had also pointed out that some of the devotees even argued with 'sewadars' (workers) upon being stopped from clicking photos inside the premises.

Photography and videography in the precincts of the Golden Temple have already been banned by the SGPC to avoid any 'disturbance' to the spiritual atmosphere.

A few days ago, a TikTok video shot inside the temple by three girls with a Punjabi song playing in the background had gone viral on social media, prompting the SGPC to take a stern view.

It was the second such incident in a short span of time as in January, a police complaint was lodged against a girl for hurting religious sentiments of Sikhs after she shot a dance video inside the Darbar Sahib complex.

Later, the girl had to apologise.   -- PTI

A day after withdrawing the 'state calamity' warning in the wake of the novel coronavirus (nCov) scare, the Kerala government on Saturday said over 3,000 people are still under observation.

Of the 3,114 people under watch, 3,099 are under home quarantine and 45 in hospitals as they had minor symptoms of the virus, state health minister K K Shailaja said.

"Till now, 330 samples have been sent for testing to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, of which 288 turned out to be negative. We are waiting for the rest of the results," the minister told reporters.

Though the 'state calamity' alert was withdrawn, the state has not lowered its guard and the (28-day) quarantine period would continue, she said.

The Kerala government had on Friday withdrawn the 'state calamity' warning, saying no new positive cases of infection had been detected over the last few days.

The minister also said that two of the 72 people who had returned to the state from Wuhan, were from Tamil Nadu.

"Those who come from the affected areas will still have to report to health officials and remain home quarantined," Shailaja said.

The state had on February 3 declared the novel coronavirus epidemic as a 'state calamity' after a third student tested positive for the infection.

India's all three positive coronavirus cases so far-- reported from Thrissur, Alappuzuha and Kasaragod districts-- are Keralite students, two of them medicos, of a university at Wuhan, the epicenter of the nCoV.  -- PTI

As the outbreak of novel coronavirus has lead to the death of more than 800 Chinese nationals, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Saturday said that foreigners who went to China on or after January 15 will not be allowed to enter India.

The DGCA, in its circular to airlines on Saturday, reiterated that all visas issued to Chinese nationals before February 5 have been suspended.

However, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) clarified, 'These visa restrictions will not apply to aircrew, who may be Chinese nationals or other foreign nationalities coming from China.'

'Foreigners who have been to China on or after January 15, 2020, are not allowed to enter India from any air, land or seaport, including Indo-Nepal, Indo-Bhutan, Indo-Bangladesh or Indo-Myanmar land borders,' the DGCA said.

Among Indian airlines, IndiGo and Air India have suspended all of their flights between the two countries. SpiceJet continues to fly on Delhi-Hong Kong route.

On February 1 and 2, Air India conducted two special flights to Chinese city of Wuhan, epicentre of the outbreak, evacuating 647 Indians and seven Maldivians.

Till date, three Indians have tested positive for novel coronavirus.  -- PTI

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will on Sunday visit Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to take part in the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Ravidas.

Priyanka Gandhi, who is also the in-charge of the eastern Uttar Pradesh, will take part in the celebrations at Sri Guru Ravidas Janamsthan Mandir, Seer Goverdhanpur.

She is scheduled to arrive in Varanasi at 12.30 pm after which she will visit the temple for the birth anniversary celebrations from 1 pm to 2:15 pm.

She had visited Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in January this year and met activists held during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. -- ANI

The death toll in China due to novel coronavirus epidemic rose to 811, while the confirmed cases jumped to over 37,000, the National Health Commission announced on Sunday.

According to World Health Organisation, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome epidemic in 2003 that spread to 26 countries had killed 774 people.

89 deaths were reported on Saturday and there were 2,656 new confirmed cases of the deadly infection, it said in its daily report.

A total of 811 people have died of the disease so far and 37,198 confirmed cases have been reported in 31 provincial-level regions, according to the commission.

Among the 89 deaths, 81 were from Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, two in Henan, and one each in Hebei, Heilongjiang, Anhui, Shandong, Hunan and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, it said.

On Saturday, 600 people recovered and walked out of the hospitals.

This included 324 in Hubei province, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.  --  PTI