China reports first death outside virus epicentre: official

Beijing (AFP) – Authorities in China reported on Thursday the first death outside of Hubei, the central province where a new SARS-like virus epidemic is believed to have originated.

The health commission in northern Hebei province, which borders Beijing, said in a statement that an 80-year-old man diagnosed with the new virus died on January 22.

The death in Hebei increases the total death toll in China from the virus to 18.