Health authorities in China's Hubei province ? the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic? reported on Thursday 14,840 new confirmed cases, almost 10 times the number reported a day earlier, and new deaths attributable to the contagion rose to 242, more than double on the day.
This brings the totals announced by the province's health commission to 48,206 and 1,310, respectively, as of Wednesday.
Officials in Hubei had reported 94 fatalities and 1,638 newly confirmed cases a day earlier, South China Morning Post reported.
Hubei's health commission said in its daily statement that it had changed the diagnostic criteria used to confirm cases, effective Thursday, meaning that doctors have broader discretion to determine which patients are infected.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xi Jinping has approved 2,600 additional medical personnel from the armed forces with the task to treat patients in two hospitals in Wuhan.
They will follow the operation model of Huoshenshan Hospital and be tasked with treating confirmed patients of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection in Taikang Tongji Hospital and a branch of Hubei's Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital.