WHO official in China on Wuhan lockdown

The World Health Organization's representative in China on Thursday said trying to contain a city the size of Wuhan was "new to science" after the cancellation of departing trains and flights amid a viral outbreak.

China closed off the city of more than 11 million people Thursday, halting transportation and warning against public gatherings, to try to stop the spread of the deadly newly identified coronavirus that has sickened hundreds and spread to other cities and countries.

"It has not been tried before as a public health measure, so we cannot at this stage say it will or will not work," Gauden Galea told The Associated Press during an interview at the WHO's Beijing office on Thursday.

Galea had visited a hospital in Wuhan with a WHO team where he commended efforts from staff and officials to contain the virus despite a "indeed quite large" number of cases.

The illnesses from a newly identified coronavirus first appeared last month in Wuhan, and the vast majority of mainland China's 571 cases have been in the city in central Hubei province.

Other individuals have been diagnosed in the Thailand, the United States, Japan and South Korea.

One case was confirmed in the southern Chinese territory of Hong Kong after one was earlier confirmed in Macao.

Most were people from Wuhan or had recently travelled there.

The illnesses from a newly identified coronavirus first appeared last month in Wuhan, and the vast majority of mainland China's 571 cases have been in the city.

Other cases have been reported in the Thailand, the United States, Japan and South Korea.

One case was confirmed in the southern Chinese territory of Hong Kong after one was earlier confirmed in Macao.