Seven infected with coronavirus: Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad

Putrajaya — Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Wednesday said that seven cases of a new deadly virus have been confirmed in the country.

Mahathir also said that he hoped discussions with Chinese authorities will facilitate the evacuation of Malaysians currently unable to leave the Chinese province where the coronavirus outbreak began.

China has cut off access to Wuhan and 16 other cities in Hubei province to prevent people from leaving and spreading the virus further.

The viral outbreak has infected more than 6,000 people in the mainland and more than a dozen other countries. China's death toll has passed 130.