China is introducing more restrictive measures to try to control the outbreak.
Beijing has banned group dining for events such as birthdays and weddings while cities such as Hangzhou and Nanchang are limiting how many family members can leave home each day.
Hubei province has switched off lifts in high-rise buildings to discourage residents from going outside.
Its capital, Wuhan, has a lack of beds and equipment, one senior city official said. Despite the rapid construction of two hospitals, the volume of patients is causing severe strain.
Reports on social media say the Wuhan government is to carry out door-to-door temperature checks on residents.
here has been criticism of the crackdowns, with Human Rights Watch saying China was “treating public health with a sledgehammer”.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong has seen panic buying of goods, including toilet rolls, and there have been huge queues for masks.
What’s the latest on infections?
Although the virus has spread overseas, with confirmed infection in some 25 nations, there have so far been only two deaths outside mainland China – one in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines.
The World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency, saying if funds are not allocated now to tackle the outbreak, nations would pay for it later.
Although the official figures in China are of 31,000 infections, some scientists have estimated that the actual rate could be 10 times higher, with the majority of infected people only presenting mild symptoms, not receiving treatment, yet passing on the potentially deadly disease.
The UK on Thursday confirmed a third case of the virus.
Some 3,700 people on the Diamond Princess cruise vessel moored off Japan face testing and quarantine for at least two weeks. On Friday, Japanese broadcaster NHK said 41 new cases had been detected on board, bringing the total to 61.
Another cruise ship with 3,600 passengers and crew is quarantined in Hong Kong with three cases on board.
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