KATHMANDU: The death toll in China from the coronavirus has climbed to 80, with almost 3,000 taken ill.

The national new year holiday has been extended by three days to Sunday, in an attempt to contain the outbreak.

Several cities have imposed travel bans and Wuhan in Hubei, the source of the outbreak, is in lockdown.

Health commission officials on Monday said that the number of deaths in Hubei province has climbed from 56 to 76, with four deaths elsewhere.

The overall number of confirmed cases in China is 2,744, according to Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Population has said that the preparations are underway to diagnose coronavirus in Nepal itself from the coming week.

Preparations have been made to test coronavirus in Nepal itself, Mahendra Prasad Shrestha, spokesperson of the Ministry of Health and Population, told Khabarhub.

Two more coronavirus infection cases have been in Nepal.

(With inputs from Agencies)