Chinese authorities have sent military doctors and closed more cities to curb the spread of the coronavirus after reports emerged that hospitals at the center of the epidemic were unable to cope with the growing number of sick people. New cases of the disease have been reported in the US, Europe, Australia, and Malaysia, which means the virus has already spread to four continents. In China, the National Health Commission announced on Saturday that 1,287 cases have been confirmed, including 444 new cases and 41 deaths. 237 are acute cases of the disease.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has sent 450 medical personnel, including people with experience in the fight against pandemics, to Wuhan to help local hospitals. Wuhan Health Centers cannot handle the treatment of hundreds of sick people and many are returned from hospitals that are crowded with patients lying in crowded corridors.

The sharp rise in deaths in China is a signal that the virus is still out of control, despite the country’s aggressive steps to curb the movement of millions of people living in cities near the center of the epidemic. The restrictions were imposed during the Lunar New Year, the biggest holiday in the country.

Although movement from Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic, and nearby areas is limited, thousands have left the area before the bans came into force. In the US, two cases of sick people who have returned from China have been confirmed. In Europe, the first three cases of the disease were detected in France and Australia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Nepal were reported infected. Two of the patients in France are hospitalized in Paris and one in the southwestern city of Bordeaux. Health Minister Agnes Buzyn told a news conference that authorities have confirmed two cases that are the first in Europe and that more cases are likely to be identified in France.

In a separate release on Friday, the health ministry informed about a third case close to one of the first two patients. Earlier, the charity SOS Medecins reported that it was treating one of the cases – a patient of Chinese descent who showed symptoms of fever and said he had contact with people in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Agnes Buzyn said the patient was 48 years old and returned two days ago from a trip to China, which included a stop in Wuhan. “He was placed in an isolated room to avoid contact with the outside world. He is fine”, said the French minister.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a “state of emergency in China” on Thursday, but refrained from declaring a global emergency.

The first confirmed case of infection in Australia is by a man from Wuhan, about 50, who traveled to Melbourne on January 19. The government has warned its citizens not to travel to the Chinese city and Hubei province.

The case in Malaysia is about a woman and her two grandchildren who are Chinese from Wuhan and have arrived in Singapore. They were relatives of a 66-year-old man and his son, who were diagnosed with the virus in Singapore. Authorities in the city-state have informed Malaysia that the family has entered the country and the three are isolated and in stable condition, the Malaysian health minister said.

In China, a doctor suspected to have contracted a coronavirus died Saturday in Hubei province, local media reported. It is not yet clear whether the 62-year-old specialist worked on the front lines to treat the disease.

In the US, the first two cases of coronavirus have been reported, and health authorities are monitoring more than 60 people who may also be infected. US congressmen have announced that health authorities are expected to confirm a third case of the disease.

Beyond the restricted areas near Wuhan, large sites throughout China have been closed due to human health concerns. Public events to mark the New Year were canceled. Disneyland in Shanghai has announced that it is closing its doors indefinitely, and movie theaters have canceled movie screenings. The cessation of activities occurs during a typically busy spending period.

The American chain of Starbucks cafes has closed all its establishments and suspended supplies in Hubei’s Chinese province for the Lunar New Year holidays. The company announced in a Chinese version of Twitter, Weibo, that the decision was made because of concerns about the health of its customers and employees. Nearly 60 million people live in central Hubei.