China extends holiday, businesses shut as virus toll rises to 81

A man wearing a face mask looks at a board at a bus stop, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Beijing, China. [Reuters]

The death toll from a coronavirus outbreak in China rose to 81 on Monday, as the government extended the Lunar New Year holiday and more big businesses shut down or told staff to work from home in an effort to curb the spread.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited the central city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, as the government sought to signal it was responding seriously to the crisis.