On Sunday, Zhou Xianwang, the Mayor of Wuhan, said that 5 million people had left the city before travel restrictions were imposed ahead of the Chinese New Year.

Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first reported, has become a deserted ghost town despite 11million people living there.

Shopping centres and schools have also been abandoned after officials restricted travel in the virus epicentre.

Public transport has also been suspended in ten other cities, temples shut and even the Forbidden City and part of the Great Wall closed.