Some 242 deaths from the new coronavirus were recorded in the Chinese province of Hubei on Wednesday - the deadliest day of the outbreak.
There was also a huge increase in the number of cases, with 14,840 people diagnosed with the virus.
Hubei has started using a broader definition to diagnose people - which accounts for most of the rise in cases.
Until Wednesday's increases, the number of people diagnosed in Hubei - where the outbreak emerged - was stabilising.
But the new cases and deaths in the province have pushed the national death toll above 1,350 - with almost 60,000 cases in total.
