China travel curbs tightened as official admits mishandling virus

Countries expanded restrictions on travellers from China over a deadly virus epidemic Friday as an official admitted that a botched response had worsened an outbreak that has now ballooned into a global health emergency. At least 213 people have died and nearly 10,000 people have been infected in China by the new coronavirus, while fresh cases were found abroad with more than 20 countries now affected. The top Communist Party official in Wuhan, the central city of 11 million people where the virus first emerged in December, expressed "remorse" because local authorities acted too slowly.