Beijing, February 8: Workers in China are preparing to return to work after an extended holiday due to the deadly Coronavirus outbreak. While the ones with white-collar jobs have the option to work-from-home, the blue-collar workers will start reporting to work from Monday. However, confusion prevails as several factories are still closed and workers have also been told to be "alert". Fact Check: Over 24,000 Deaths in China Due to Coronavirus? Doctored Screenshot Claims Under-Reporting of Fatalities, Know Truth Behind Viral Post.

The week-long Lunar New Year holidays were extended by 10 days due to the deadly virus outbreak. The death toll due to the epidemic reached 722 people on Saturday morning. China Issues Order for Disposal of Coronavirus Fatalities, Says Dead Bodies Should Be Cremated and Not Buried to Prevent Risk of Transmission.

Large cities like Beijing and Shanghai resembled ghost towns, with people avoiding travel and outing, reported news agency Reuters.

Meanwhile, Wuhan began combing communities to ensure every confirmed or suspected patient is located and attended to as a senior official vowed to nail any official deserter "to history's pillar of shame." Coronavirus Outbreak: China Says UK Virus Advice to Citizens an 'Overreaction'.

Eighty-six deaths were reported in mainland China with 3,399 fresh cases from 31 provincial-level regions, the country's National Health Commission said.

Among the deaths, 81 are in Hubei province and its provincial capital Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus, two in Heilongjiang, as well as one in Beijing, Henan, and Gansu, the commission said.

By the end of Friday, 26 confirmed cases, including one death, have been reported in Hong Kong. Macao reported 10 cases, while Taiwan reported 16 cases, it said.

A total of 4,214 new suspected cases were reported and 1,280 patients became seriously ill, and 510 people were discharged from hospital after recovery, according to the commission.

It added that 6,101 patients remained in severe condition, and 27,657 people were suspected of being infected with the virus. As many as 2,050 people have been discharged from hospital after recovery.

The commission said 3.45 lakh 'close contacts' have been traced, adding that among them, 26,702 were discharged from medical observation on Friday. Over 1.89 lakh others are still under medical observation.

The death toll of the coronavirus cases overseas went up 220 with Japan reporting 86 followed by 33 in Singapore. Kerala in India has reported three cases while 647 evacuated Indians from Wuhan are going through quarantine in Manesar. (With PTI Inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 08, 2020 05:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).