(Seats are arranged at a food court in a commercial complex in Beijing on March 6, 2020, to prevent people from facing each other amid concern over the spread of the new coronavirus.)

BEIJING - China's health authorities on Sunday reported 44 additional cases of novel coronavirus infection, bringing the country's overall caseload to 80,695.

Of the newly confirmed cases, 41 were in Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, with the remaining three all being imported from abroad, the National Health Commission said.

There were 27 new deaths from the virus in the 24 hours to the end of Saturday, all in Hubei, raising the nationwide toll to 3,097.

According to the official Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese government has decided to contribute $20 million to the World Health Organization's global fight against COVID-19.