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The new coronavirus has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization, as the outbreak continues to spread outside China, BBC News reports. 

"The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The concern is that it could spread to countries with weaker health systems.

Meanwhile, the US has told its citizens not to travel to China.

The State Department issued a level four warning - having previously urged Americans to "reconsider" travel to China - and said any citizens in China "should consider departing using commercial means".

At least 213 people have died in China - mostly in Hubei province where the virus emerged - with almost 10,000 cases nationally.

The WHO said there had been 98 cases in 18 other countries, but no deaths.

Most international cases are in people who had been to the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei.

However, there have been eight cases of human-to-human infection - in Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the United States.