McDonald's has "suspended business" in five cities in China that are at the center of the coronavirus outbreak.

The news was first reported by Reuters on Friday. A spokesperson for McDonald's confirmed these reports in an email to Business Insider.

According to the BBC, at least six cities across the Hubei province are on "lockdown" – transport has been suspended and local hangouts are closing for the time being.

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McDonald's has "suspended business" in five cities in China, which are at the center of the coronavirus outbreak.

A spokesperson for McDonald's Asia said in a statement emailed to Business Insider on Friday that all restaurant operations will be suspended in Wuhan, Ezhou, Huanggang, Qianjiang and Xiantao effective immediately. News of these closures was first reported by Reuters on Friday morning.

"We will decide on the time of resuming business in accordance with the development of the epidemic," McDonald's wrote in the statement.

Moreover, all McDonald's restaurants in China are required to measure the body temperatures of all employees when they arrive at work. Any employees showing symptoms of cold or fever will be sent home immediately, the company said.

"Masks are urgently being distributed so that very soon all crews across the country will be wearing them. Internal communications are enhanced for promoting more frequent hand washing and disinfection, as well as helping employees to have a greater general understanding of epidemic prevention," the statement said.

As of Friday morning, more than 870 people in China had been infected by the virus with 26 people dying from it. It has now spread to neighboring countries across Asia and into the US.

The virus was first discovered at the end of last year in the city of Wuhan, which is the capital of the Hubei province, and where the majority of fatalities have occurred since.

McDonald's has dozens of locations in this region, according to a search on Google Maps.

According to the BBC, at least six cities across this region are now on "lockdown" as transport has been suspended in local hangouts such as restaurants, theaters, and cinemas shut for the time being.