Washington, Mar 3 (IANS): The number of coronavirus cases in the US has increased to 91, up from just 60 cases a day ago, with two fatalities, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

At least 43 of those cases have been detected and tested in the country through public health surveillance systems -- 16 confirmed cases and 27 presumptive positive cases that have been tested positive by public health laboratories and were pending CDC's confirmatory tests, Xinhua news agency quoted the Centre as saying on Monday.

The latest count includes 17 people who tested positive after returning from travel to outbreak areas in other parts of the world, and 26 people who did not travel and did not have known contact with other infected people, said the CDC.

In addition, 48 of the cases were evacuees who returned to the country via State Department-chartered flights, according to an update on the agency's website.