China said on Thursday (Jan 23) that the number of people infected by a new coronavirus has hit 571, as authorities took a drastic step to contain the outbreak by suspending all flights and trains out of Wuhan, the epicentre of the epidemic.

At least 17 people have died from the SARS-like virus, which has also spread to other major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing, as well as provinces in northeastern, central, and southern China.