The Chinese president warns: The virus is spreading rapidly

The country is facing a serious “situte” Xi Jinping told senior officials.

Coronavirus has killed at least 56 people and infected almost 2,000 since his discovery in the town of Wuhan.

The US has announced that staff at the Wuhan consulate will be evacuated on a special flight Tuesday.

Travel has been restricted in some affected cities.

A second emergency hospital will be built there within weeks to treat 1,300 new patients.

Specialised military medical teams have also flown to the Hubei province, where Wuhan is located.

The emergency reflects concern both within China and abroad about the virus that first emerged in December.