Nearly 100 people died from the novel coronavirus Sunday as deaths from the disease in mainland China have risen above 900.
According to NPR, China reported that 97 people died from the disease — the deadliest day on record since the disease outbreak began in January.
The dozens of deaths come just days after Chinese officials noted a slowdown in the spread of cases.
On Monday, the New York Post reported that an additional 60 people aboard a quarantined cruise ship off the coast of Japan had been diagnosed with the disease, meaning 135 people have now been sickened aboard the ship. There are 23 Americans aboard the cruise ship.
Also on Monday, organizers of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, due to start this week, said they are canceling all of its more than 120 performances.
The coronavirus outbreak started in the Wuhan province of China in early January, and the disease has since spread around the world. While the 2 percent death rate of the coronavirus is much lower than that of similar diseases like SARS, the disease has been spreading at a rapid rate.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
