Coronavirus outbreak: China confirms virus death toll now at 593

The Chinese government confirmed Thursday that the death toll from the outbreak of the new coronavirus rose to 593.

Speaking in Beijing, Song Shuli, from China's National Health Commission said there were 28,018 cases of the virus.

The Ministry of Transport said that although peak travel in big cities would not be as high as previous years, there was still more of a risk of people living in them contracting the virus as they travel more.

The government has sealed Wuhan and many other cities in Hubei province and has postponed indefinitely the dates of the reopening of factories and schools after the new year holiday.