The coronavirus outbreak, which started in the central city of Wuhan late last year, has killed 132 people, with nearly 6,000 infected in China.
Hundreds queue for masks in Shanghai as virus spreads
Hundreds in Shanghai were queuing on Wednesday (January 29) to buy protective face masks as fears over the deadly coronavirus originating from Wuhan grew in China.
In the commercial capital of Shanghai, the municipal market regulator has ordered the closure of a drugstore that sold sub-standard masks, the city government said.
There were rumours of food shortages but supermarkets in Shanghai showed a good supply of fruits, eggs and vegetables.
Almost all in Hubei province, which includes the city of Wuhan, is under virtual lockdown, while the number of confirmed cases rose by 1,459 to a total of 5,974.
The case number in China now exceeds the 5,327 who were infected in the country with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus, which killed about 800 people around the world in 2002-2003.