China envoy cautions on 'excessive' virus measures

China's envoy to the United Nations on Friday expressed support for the World Health Organization's decision to declare a new virus outbreak an international health emergency - but cautioned against "unnecessary panic" or "excessive measures" in response.

Chen Xu's comments came during a briefing in Geneva, a day after the WHO declared the deadly outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

The coronavirus, which is thought to have originated in China's Hubei province, has now killed at least 200 and infected more than 9,800 people around the world, based on numbers released Friday.

As the number of cases grew in various countries on Friday, Chen said China was "ready to show solidarity" with countries with weak health systems that might struggle to contain the spread of the virus.

The vast majority of confirmed cases have been identified in mainland China, however, a number of other countries were also affected, including Thailand, Japan, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Chen also said Chinese authorities had received many offers of help from the international community, however, he stressed that his country was still trying to plan and organise for "where, when and in which area we need foreign assistance."