Across mainland China, there were 3,062 new confirmed infections as of Sunday, bringing the total number so far to 40,171.

An advance team of international experts led by the World Health Organization (WHO) is heading for Beijing to help investigate the epidemic.

Sixty more confirmed cases of coronavirus have been found aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, bringing the total cases on the ship to 130.

Over the weekend, an American hospitalised in the central city of Wuhan became the first confirmed non-Chinese victim of the disease. A Japanese man who also died there was another suspected victim.

The virus has spread to at least 27 countries and territories, according to a Reuters count based on official reports, infecting more than 330 people. Two deaths have been reported outside mainland China.

Across China, schools in provinces and regions such as Guangdong, Anhui, Zhejiang, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Shandong, Hebei, Jiangxi, and Inner Mongolia, as well as Shanghai and Chongqing will be shut through the end of February.

The latest patients outside China include a group of British nationals staying in a mountain village in Haute-Savoie in the Alps, French health officials said, raising fears of further infections across Europe.

Asian shares pared early losses as Chinese authorities lifted some restrictions on work and travel, helping businesses resume work though overall sentiment was still jittery. [MKTS/GLOB]

China said a total of 71.85 billion yuan ($10.28 billion) had been allocated as of Saturday afternoon to fight the virus.

Hong Kong introduced a two-week quarantine on Saturday for all people arriving from the mainland, or who have been there during the previous 14 days. Malaysia expanded its ban on visitors from China.

France said it did not recommend travelling to China unless there was an “imperative” reason. Italy asked children travelling from China to stay away from school for two weeks.

Taiwan, which has 16 cases, banned international cruise ships from docking.

A Chinese doctor who issued an early warning about the virus outbreak before it was officially recognised died of the virus last week.