Coronavirus toll hits daily record, exceeds SARS

Workers began trickling back to offices and factories around China on Feb. 10 as the government eased some restrictions on working during a coronavirus epidemic that has killed more than 900 people, most of them on the mainland.   

The death toll of 97 on Feb. 9 was the largest in a single day since the outbreak was detected in December and linked to a market selling animals in the Hubei provincial capital of Wuhan.   

Stocks and oil fell while safe-haven gold rose as the death toll from the outbreak surpassed that of another coronavirus, which brought a global epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2002/2003, raising alarm bells about its severity.   

A team of experts headed by the World Health Organization (WHO) was flying into Beijing on Feb. 10 to help assess the outbreak.   

The epidemic has caused huge disruptions in China with usually teeming cities becoming virtual ghost towns during the past two weeks as Communist Party rulers ordered virtual lockdowns, canceled flights, and closed factories and schools.   

Authorities told businesses to add up to 10 extra days onto the Lunar New Year holidays that had been due to finish at the end of January.    

Even on Feb. 10, a large number of workplaces will remain closed and many white-collar workers were working from home.    

On one of the usually busiest subway lines in Beijing, trains were largely empty. The few commuters seen during peak-hour morning traffic were all wearing masks.    

Jin Yang, who works in a department of China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange, rode a bicycle to work instead of public transport. Staff were told to wear masks, avoid face-to-face meetings and the canteen was closed, he said.   

Another...