THE number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in China has risen again, with the death toll increasing to 722.

The Chinese government announced that another 3399 people had been diagnosed with the virus, reversing two days of decline. This raised the total accumulated number of cases on the mainland to 34,546.

Meanwhile, the ruling Communist Party in China has faced anger from the public over the death of a doctor who was threatened by police after trying to sound the alarm about the disease more than a month ago.

Dr Li Wenliang, a 34-year-old ophthalmologist, contracted the virus while treating patients, and his death was confirmed early on Friday.

He was one of eight medical professionals in Wuhan who tried to warn colleagues and others when the government did not. He had said that police forced him to sign a statement admitting he spread falsehoods.

Following an online uproar over the government’s treatment of Li, the Communist Party said it is sending a team to “fully investigate relevant issues raised by the public”.

Even the pro-government Global Times newspaper said the treatment of Li and other whistleblowers was “evidence of local authorities’ incompetence to tackle a contagious and deadly virus”.

The episode has raised long-standing complaints that party officials lie about or cover up disease outbreaks, chemical spills, dangerous consumer products or financial frauds.

Chinese citizens can be jailed on charges of rumour-mongering or making trouble.

Elsewhere, Japan’s foreign ministry said a Japanese citizen being treated in Wuhan had died of pneumonia and also was likely to have been infected with the virus.

The US embassy in Beijing said a 60-year-old US citizen diagnosed with the virus died in Wuhan on Wednesday, apparently the first American fatality of the outbreak.

Chinese president Xi Jinping spoke with his US counterpart Donald Trump on Friday and urged the US to “respond reasonably” to the outbreak, echoing complaints that some countries are overreacting by restricting Chinese travellers.

France has confirmed five additional cases of the virus, including one child.

The announcement by health minister Agnes Buzyn brings the total number of people confirmed with the virus in the country to 11.

The new cases were identified in the Alpine resort town of Contamines-Montjoie near Mont Blanc.

Buzyn said they appear to be linked to a British person who stayed there in late January and was later confirmed to have the virus after returning to Britain.

French authorities are working with international partners to trace everyone who was in close contact with the British person and with the newly infected people in France.

The French government has brought hundreds of people from European and African countries back from Wuhan. Those who stayed in France are in quarantine.

Yesterday, Hong Kong began enforcing a 14-day quarantine for arrivals from mainland China.

Hong Kong has refused to completely seal its border but hopes the quarantine will dissuade travellers from the mainland.