A hotel worker in China has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus after eight consecutive tests failed to detect her condition when she was in quarantine, officials revealed.

The 56-year-old from Sichuan Province went into isolation earlier this month after one of her colleagues had been infected with the virus, a report said.

She was confirmed to have the deadly disease yesterday after being put under quarantine for three weeks.

The 56-year-old woman from Sichuan was confirmed to have the deadly disease yesterday after being put under quarantine for three weeks. The above photo shows a woman wearing a mask and goggles to protect herself while riding a bicycle on a street in Beijing on February 25

The case was revealed by health officials in Anyue County, Sichuan, and reported by Sichuan Online today.

It is said that the patient, known by her surname Tang, works in a hotel in Chongqing as a dishwasher.

She returned to her hometown in Anyue on January 23 to celebrate the Lunar New Year with her family.

After one of her colleagues was diagnosed with the coronavirus, Ms Tang was taken to a quarantine camp by the authority on February 2.

The report said Ms Tang had visited her local clinic the day earlier but did not explain why she had gone there.

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 2,705 people and infected more than 80,320 globally

During February 7 and 23, medical workers gave her eight tests by taking throat swabs.

The medics carried out nucleic acid detection tests using 'polymerase chain reaction' (PCR) techniques - a method for amplifying specific sequences of DNA - to see if Ms Tang was carrying the virus.

All of the eight tests came back negative.

The woman was classified as a suspected patient on February 16 while being quarantined at the People’s Hospital of Anyue County.

She was transferred to the No. 1 People’s Hospital of Ziyang on February 21. Doctors there yesterday diagnosed her with the coronavirus after combining the results from further clinical and laboratory tests.

The new coronavirus - known as COVID-19 - has killed at least 2,663 and infected more than 77,660 people inside China. The picture shows medics disinfecting themselves after coming back from the severe pneumonia inpatient wards at a hospital in Chongqing on February 1

Hubei, situated in central China, accounts for more than 80 per cent of the confirmed cases and 95 per cent of the deaths worldwide. The picture shows a medical worker treats a patient at an isolation ward at a hospital in Chongqing on February 1

The local health officials are currently looking for people who have been in close contact with Ms Tang.

The typical incubation period of the virus is two weeks, but Chinese experts previously said it could be as long as 24 days in rare cases.

The new coronavirus - known as COVID-19 - has killed at least 2,663 and infected more than 77,660 people inside China.

Hubei, situated in central China, accounts for more than 80 per cent of the confirmed cases and 95 per cent of the deaths worldwide.

Wuhan, the provincial capital with 11 million residents, went into lockdown on January 23 in the wake of the outbreak. The majority part of Hubei then followed suit.

Overnight, the Hubei health officials reported 499 new cases out of a nationwide total of 508 and 68 of the 71 new deaths across China.

Globally, the coronavirus epidemic has killed at least 2,705 people, infected more than 80,340 and spread to at least two dozen countries.