China virus toll hits 722, with first foreign victim

?Hong Kong began enforcing a two-week quarantine for anyone arriving from mainland China, under threat of both fines and jail terms. [AFP / Philip FONG]

The death toll from China's coronavirus outbreak soared to 722 on Saturday, including the first foreign victim, as Hong Kong imposed a mandatory quarantine on mainland arrivals to block the spread of an epidemic that has caused global panic.

With 86 more people dying in mainland China -- the highest one-day jump so far -- the toll was closing in on the 774 killed worldwide during the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic.