WUHAN, CHINA — Authorities in the Chinese city of Wuhan have shut down public transport to stop the spread of a new strain of coronavirus.

All flight and passenger train services in and out of Wuhan have temporarily been stopped as of Thursday, January 23, BBC News reports. Public buses, subways and ferry services have also been shut down starting from Thursday, 10:00 a.m. local time.

In addition, those residing in Wuhan have already been advised to avoid crowds and to minimize public gatherings. Large-scale activities that were planned at tourist attractions throughout the city have also been suspended ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays.

According to CNN, Wuhan has already made it mandatory for everyone in the city to wear face masks in public after the city confirmed more than 500 coronavirus cases.

The virus is now known as 2019-nCOV and is believed to be a new strain of coronavirus that had not been previously identified in humans, reports BBC News.

Chinese officials believe that the virus was spread from a local seafood market in Wuhan. The coronavirus originally spread from wild animals to humans, though there is now evidence that the virus can be transmitted between people.

The seafood market has since been closed for disinfection.

Symptoms of the virus include fever, with some experiencing difficulty breathing. Chest X-rays from the victims show invasive lesions on both lungs.

According to CNN, there have already been 555 confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, out of which there have been 17 deaths.

The virus has since spread to countries such as Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States.