SHANGHAI (REUTERS) - China's National Health Commission says it will continue to take the strictest control and prevention measures in Hubei province, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, according to a statement on Tuesday (Feb 25).

The commission added that it will also strictly control the outbound movement of people in Wuhan and other cities in Hubei province with existing traffic controls.

Hubei had 499 new confirmed cases on Feb 24, the commission said, up from 398 a day earlier. Mainland China reported 508 new cases, up from 409 on Feb 23, bringing the total number to 77,658.

China's top legislature also said it will immediately ban the trade and consumption of wild animals, in a fast-track decision it said will allow the country to win the battle against the virus.

Countries around the world are also stepping up efforts to prevent a pandemic of the flu-like virus that has now infected more than 80,000 people, 10 times more cases than the Sars coronavirus.