Coronavirus cases top 60,000, new case reported in U.S.

(KION) Chinese health officials in the Hubei Province have reported 242 new deaths and 14,840 new cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus, bringing the number of confirmed cases to more than 60,000 worldwide.

CBS reports that the rise in cases comes as Chinese officials broaden their definition of confirmed cases. Lung imaging can no be used to diagnose the virus in addition to the tests used so far.

The CDC also announced that another American evacuee from Wuhan, China has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The CDC said the new case brings the number of U.S. cases to 14 and the evacuee was quarantined at the same base as another coronavirus patient in San Diego. Both were at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, but were housed in separate facilities.

"At this time there is no indication of person-to-person spread of this virus at the quarantine facility," CDC on-site team lead Dr. Chris Braden told CBS, "but CDC will carry out a thorough contact investigation as part of its current response strategy to detect and contain any cases of infection with this virus."

According to CBS, this comes after Chinese officials had said the number of new cases in the country had declined for two days in a row.

There have been 1,365 deaths related to the disease recorded so far.