MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Three medics in Beijing have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus strain, as the number of confirmed cases in China continues to rise, the Chinese People’s Daily (Renmin Ribao) newspaper reports.

On Saturday morning, the first death from the new coronavirus among doctors was reported in China.

"Three Chinese doctors are confirmed infected with the new coronavirus in Beijing. Two of them went to Wuhan for business. All of them and people [who] had close contacts with them are in quarantine," the People’s Daily said on its Twitter account late on Saturday.

Three Chinese doctors are confirmed infected with the new #coronavirus in Beijing. Two of them went to #Wuhan for business. All of them and people had close contacts with them are in quarantine. pic.twitter.com/ukkCS4WzhD — People's Daily, China (@PDChina) January 25, 2020

Chinese media reported on Saturday that the number of medics infected with the new coronavirus in China is a lot higher than official figures.

China's National Health Committee said on Saturday that it had sent 1,230 doctors to help contain the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, the city where the current outbreak started in December and also the current epicentre of the disease.

At least 450 military doctors, including physicians who have experience in fighting the SARS and Ebola epidemics, have also been reportedly sent to Wuhan.

China’s National Health Commission said on Saturday that the total number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in China currently stands at 1,287. At least 41 people have died from the virus in China.

Confirmed cases of the new coronavirus have also been recorded in Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, Nepal, France, the United States and Australia.

Two Russian universities are currently working on the development of a vaccine for the new coronavirus strain, according to Anna Popova, head of the Russian Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare (Rospotrebnadzor).