Chinese health authorities announced Wednesday that 440 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) had been reported in the country by the end of Tuesday.
The cases had resulted in nine deaths, said Li Bin, deputy director of the National Health Commission, at a press conference, reported Xinhua news agency.
Earlier, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that he expected the virus to be contained "with determination", while Prime Minister Li Keqiang announced the creation of a group dedicated to fighting the illness.
The World Health Organization will hold a meeting of experts on Wednesday to determine whether the current coronavirus outbreak in China constitutes an international emergency.