Its horrible situation in China, 68661 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus and 1666 have been died including majority of people in Hubei.On Sunday, authorities reported 2,009 new cases – down from 2,641 on Saturday, and 5,090 the day before.

New cases spiked earlier in the week after a change in the way they were counted but have been falling ever since. In total, more than 68,500 people have so far been infected in China.

National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng said the figures showed China was managing to curb the outbreak.

“The effects of epidemic prevention and control in various parts of the country can already be seen.”

The commission’s daily bulletin also reported 142 more deaths nationwide, the vast majority in Hubei.

However Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that along with a drop in infections within Hubei there had been a rapid increase in the number of people who had recovered.

The proportion of infected patients considered to be in a “serious condition” has dropped nationwide from more than 15% to just over 7%, according to China’s State Council.

Taiwan has now reported a death from the illness – a taxi driver, 61, who had not travelled abroad recently but had diabetes and hepatitis B, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said.

The minister said many of his passengers had come from China.

Outside China, there have been more than 500 cases in nearly 30 countries. Four others have died outside China – in France, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Japan.