TOKYO, February 27. /TASS/. Another person has died from the novel coronavirus in Japan, the total number of fatalities in the country has reached eight, NHK television reported on Thursday.

It noted that the issue at hand is a 80-year-old man in the inhabited community of Shiriuchi located in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost prefecture. Two senior citizens died of coronavirus in Japan on Wednesday.

The total number of novel coronavirus cases in Japan has almost reached 900. Most of those infected (705) are passengers and crewmembers of the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

The outbreak of the now-infamous novel coronavirus pneumonia was recorded in Wuhan, an economic and industrial metropolis, in late December 2019. The World Health Organization has declared it a public health emergency of international concern, describing it as an epidemic with multiple locations. Apart from China, 50 other countries and territories, including Russia, have reported confirmed coronavirus cases.

According to the authorities, the number of people infected with the new coronavirus in China has passed 78,400. Of these, 2,744 were fatalities, while more than 32,400 patients recovered.