US reports 8 coronavirus cases

The United States on Saturday (local time) reported eight cases of coronavirus after a youth returning from the Chinese city of Wuhan tested positive for the deadly virus.

The authorities have said that the Boston man sought medical attention soon after returning from Wuhan, which has emerged as the epicentre of the virus and has claimed more than 300 lives so far.

"We are grateful that this young man is recovering and sought medical attention immediately," Monica Bharel, the commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, said in a press release.

"Massachusetts has been preparing for a possible case of this new coronavirus, and we were fortunate that astute clinicians took appropriate action quickly," she continued.

The virus originated in Wuhan in December and has since then spread to various cities around the world. The confirmed cases of coronavirus in China have now surged past 14,000.

China has imposed quarantine and travel restrictions, affecting the movement of 56 million people in more than a dozen cities, amid fears that the transmission rate will accelerate as hundreds of millions of Chinese travel for the Lunar New Year.

Health authorities around the world are taking action to prevent a global pandemic as the virus continues to spread, with cases reported in Australia, France, the United States and seven Asian countries besides China.

Several countries have sped up the evacuation process after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak as a global health crisis.