Beijing, Feb 9 (IANS): The death toll due to the novel coronavirus outbreak in China has increased to 811 on Sunday, surpassing that of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003.

Data released by China's National Health Commission shows that, until midnight, 811 coronavirus deaths had been recorded in mainland China, other than those registered in the Philippines last weekend and Hong Kong earlier this week, reports Efe news.

This brings the total number of deaths due to the outbreak to 813. The SARS epidemic claimed 774 lives worldwide between 2002-2003, according to the World Health Organization.

Those infected with the coronavirus - 37,198 in mainland China alone - far exceed the 8,437 SARS cases that were recorded worldwide during its outbreak.

SARS also began in China in the southern Guangzhou province, while the coronavirus appears to have originated from a seafood market in the central-eastern city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province.

Although about 20 countries have confirmed cases, China has accounted for about 99 per cent of those infected. The first foreign victims of the virus both died on Saturday in Wuhan.

Both victims were men in their 60s, one was an American citizen, the other Japanese.

The other countries where coronavirus cases have been reported are Japan (86), Singapore (33),

Thailand (32), Hong Kong (26), South Korea (24), Taiwan (17), Australia (15), Malaysia (15), Germany (14), the US (12 plus one in China), Vietnam (12), France (11), Macao (10), Canada (seven), UAE (seven), India (three), Philippines (three), the UK (three), Italy (three), Russia (two), Cambodia (one), Finland (one), Nepal (one), Sri Lanka (one), Spain (one), Belgium (one) and Sweden (one), figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control as of Sunday.