Beijing, Feb 8 (AFP/APP): The death toll from China’s coronavirus outbreak soared to 722 on Saturday as Hong Kong imposed a mandatory quarantine on mainland arrivals to block the spread of an epidemic that has caused global panic. With 86 more people dying in mainland China — the highest one-day jump so far — the toll was closing in on the 774 killed worldwide during the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic. Nearly 35,000 people have been infected by the new strain, which is believed to have emerged in a market selling wild animals in the central city of Wuhan last year before spreading across China. The epidemic has prompted the government to lock down cities home to tens of millions of people, as anger mounts over its handling of the crisis, especially after a whistleblowing doctor fell victim to the virus. Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, on a visit to quarantined Wuhan this week, instructed officials to take a “wartime” approach as they implement drastic measures that include combing the city for feverish residents. With panic spiralling around the globe — more than 320 cases have emerged in nearly 30 other countries — researchers were racing to find treatments and a vaccine to … Continue reading China virus toll hits 722 as Hong Kong imposes quarantine