China virus outbreak death toll rises to 170

The death toll in China from a deadly new coronavirus rose to 170, state media said on Thursday, with the worst-hit province of Hubei reporting 37 fatalities.

Some 7,711 people in China are now confirmed to have the infection, with 1,032 new cases in Hubei, and the first confirmed patient reported in Tibet, reports Aljazeera. 

The World Health Organization on Wednesday warned all governments to "take action" over the SARS-like virus that originated in the Hubei capital of Hubei, as hundreds of foreigners were evacuated from the city. 

Beyond China, more than a dozen countries have reported the illness, with new cases reported on Wednesday in Finland and the United Arab Emirates. 

The WHO will hold an urgent meeting for Thursday over whether the outbreak should be declared a global health emergency - a designation that can lead to increased international coordination.

The agency has acknowledged the respiratory illness is an emergency in China but said last week it was too early to declare the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. It has described the global risk from the virus as high.