(WBZ NewsRadio) — The number of cases of the novel coronavirus, now being called COVID-19, has spiked to about 60,000 in China.
Earlier this week, before this surge, there were reports that the virus may be in decline.
The spike comes as Japan reported their first death due to the virus Wednesday, becoming the second fatality outside of China, according to the Washington Post.
Security guard takes the temperature of a couple on Feb. 12 in Beijing, China. (Getty Images)
Meanwhile, a cruise ship with more than 200 infected passengers has been quarantined in Japan. CNN reports the person who died in Japan from the virus was not on this ship.
In China, more than 1,300 people have died from the virus, according to the New York Times.
There are 15 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States, including one in Massachusetts.
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