The number of deaths from the virus has risen to 132 in China, the Chinese National Health Commission (NHC) said on Wednesday.
Hundreds of foreign nationals have been evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the centre of the coronavirus outbreak, as more deaths and cases were confirmed.
Japan, the US and the EU are also repatriating their citizens. Australia plans to quarantine its 600 returning citizens for two weeks on Christmas Island - some 2,000km (1,200 miles) from the mainland. President Xi Jinping called the virus a "devil" but said China would defeat it. An expert from the NHC said it could take 10 more days for the outbreak to peak. The virus is thought to have emerged from illegally traded wildlife at a seafood market in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province. It causes severe acute respiratory infection and there is no specific cure or vaccine. There are at least 47 cases confirmed in 16 other countries, including in Thailand, France, the US and Australia. No deaths have been reported outside China. BBC