BEIJING, January 22. /TASS/. The number of people dead from a new type of coronavirus originating from China has reached 17, deputy governor of the Hubei province overseeing healthcare and medical support Yang Yunyan stated during a press conference on Wednesday.

"As of 20:00 local time (15:00 Moscow time - TASS), the number of people infected in the Hubei province (where the virus was first located - TASS) is 444, 17 people are dead,"

Earlier reports informed of nine people killed and 473 infected in China, 375 of whom are located in the Hubei province.

According to the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, over 2,200 Chinese citizens were in close contact with those infected.

On December 31, 2019, the Chinese authorities informed the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a new type of pneumonia in the city of Wuhan in central China. On January 7, Chinese specialists determined the virus behind the infection - coronavirus 2019-nCoV. Doctors say that the symptoms of the new coronavirus include running nose, cough, sore throat and chest tightness. Migraines and fever are also possible, and they can last for several days. The risk group includes people with a compromised immune system, such as seniors and children. They present with symptoms similar to those of pneumonia and bronchitis.