China confirms 769 new coronavirus cases in one day

China confirmed 769 new coronavirus cases in the 24-hour period that ended at midnight on Sunday, The Associated Press reported, raising the total number of cases in the country to more than 2,700.

The 2,744 cases reportedly include five in Hong Kong and two in Macau.

The AP noted that a majority of China’s cases have surfaced in the central city of Wuhan, where the virus originated last month, and most of the 80 deaths total in the country have occurred in the central Hubei province.

Outside of China, 40 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed, with almost all of them involving Chinese tourists or people who visited Wuhan, according to the news service. Thailand has recorded eight cases, and Australia and the U.S. have both reported five. 

The U.S. cases involve two in Southern California, one in Chicago, one in Arizona and one in Washington state. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed three of these cases Sunday, adding that all five patients are hospitalized.

The CDC has said it is screening passengers from Wuhan at airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.

The State Department also mandated that U.S. employees in Wuhan evacuate because of the spreading virus.