President Xi Jinping said China faces a “grave situation” with the coronavirus outbreak.
According to Reuters, the death toll jumped to 42 during the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Hong Kong declared a virus emergency, ended any celebrations and restricted link to mainland China.
Schools will remain closed until Feb.
17 and flights and high speed rail trips have been cancelled.
There are more than 1,400 people infected worldwide, most of them in China.