The coronavirus death toll in mainland China has overtaken the SARS epidemic of 2003 while a new 1,000-bed hospital to help tackle the outbreak has been built in just eight days.
Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, where the virus originated, is one of two dedicated facilities being constructed with 361 deaths now confirmed since the outbreak started in December.
Patients will begin to be admitted from later today, according to reports.
Three-hundred and forty-eight people died as a result of SARS almost 17 years ago.
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The hospital, Huoshenshan, or "fire-god mountain", is designed to have 1,000 beds for patients with confirmed infections to ease a shortage of beds elsewhere in the city as the virus spreads.
The epidemic has infected more than 17,000 in China and at least 171 overseas.
There are more than 11,000 cases in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, state television said today.
Construction of Huoshenshan was copied from a hospital built in Beijing in 2003 that was dedicated to the fight against SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome.
More than 7,500 workers took part in the fast-build project, which commenced on January 25 and finished this weekend.
China is also building a second hospital in Wuhan dedicated to the treatment of coronavirus patients, with 1,600 beds.
Leishenshan, or "thunder-god mountain", is scheduled to be completed on February 5.
There are 17,205 confirmed cases of coronavirus, as of Sunday, the same day the first confirmed fatality outside China was announced.
A 44-year-old Chinese man from Wuhan died in the Philippines, but appears to have become infected before arriving.
China's National Health Commission revealed on Monday there are also 21,558 suspected cases and 152,700 people under medical watch.
A further 475 people have been discharged from hospital, while there have been more than 150 confirmed cases outside China.
Hospital workers in Hong Kong are preparing to strike unless borders with the mainland are closed.
Authorities have refused to comply, following recommendations from the World Health Organisation to introduce screening instead.
Of the newly reported deaths, 56 were in Hubei and one in Chongqing.
While in Hubei, the new numbers rose to 2,103 confirmed cases and 56 deaths, up from 1,921 and 45 on Sunday, reports the South China Morning Post.
Earlier 11 more British citizens arrived back in Britain after being flown out of Wuhan on a French plane.
The passengers – made up of British nationals and family members – will now be taken to Arrowe Park Hospital in the Wirral, where they will spend 14 days in quarantine.
They were evacuated from the city of Wuhan, which has been on lockdown since the outbreak.
They will be joining 83 UK nationals who are in quarantine close to Arrow Park Hospital on Merseyside.
The Sunday Times reported that UK government officials nine days ago began tracing 1,561 recent arrivals from Wuhan and that up to 480 remain unaccounted for.
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