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KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia imposed a temporary ban on Chinese nationals arriving from the city of Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province on Monday to stem the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.

The government decided to impose the temporary ban with immediate effect following the rising death toll in China, which reached 81 on Monday, according to a statement issued by the prime minister’s office.

Malaysia has reported four confirmed cases of the virus, which can cause pneumonia. It is still unclear how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people.

Wuhan is the capital of Hubei.

The ban would be lifted once the situation returns to normal, the statement read.