In a press conference on Tuesday, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesman Christian Lindmeier said countries had to be prepared for the virus "literally knocking at the door".

Referring to whether it would announce a pandemic, he said many countries have pandemic plans and some may act on it depending on the situation.

However the WHO itself does not plan "a big announcement", he said.

A pandemic is when an infectious disease spreads easily from person to person in many parts of the world.

Mr Lindmeier said a mission to Iran, which had been announced for Tuesday, has been delayed and no date for its departure has been announced.

Welcome to our coverage of the coronavirus outbreak.

Here's what's happening today:

• A hotel in Tenerife with hundreds of guests has been locked down after a visiting Italian doctor tested positive for the virus
• Italy, the country in Europe worst affected, has reported a total of 260 cases. Seven people have died
• In South Korea, 10 people have now died with the number of infections reaching 977. Americans have been warned against all but essential travel to the nation
• Japan has now confirmed more than 850 infected people, most of them on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise liner
• Three more deaths have been recorded in Iran, state media say, taking fatalities there to 15
• China reported 508 new infections on Monday with the bulk of cases in Wuhan. The death toll in China rose by 71 to 2,663 - more than 77,000 people in the country have been infected