A Melbourne man says he is "deeply concerned" about the safety of his six-month-old daughter who has been caught up in China's coronavirus lockdown.

Key points: Six-month-old Australian girl caught in Wuhan's coronavirus lockdown

Six-month-old Australian girl caught in Wuhan's coronavirus lockdown Father calls on Government to do more for Australians and families affected

Father calls on Government to do more for Australians and families affected Reports of food, safety equipment shortages in locked-down areas

Yi Xu, 37, travelled to Wuhan — the city at the centre of the virus' outbreak — with his infant daughter in October to visit family.

When he returned to Melbourne for work, he left the girl with his mother in Wuhan. He intended to return to celebrate Chinese New Year with his family, before returning home with his daughter.

The girl has no symptoms or fever, but with Wuhan locked down by authorities — and Mr Xu's flight cancelled — he is "deeply concerned" about her safety.

"I'm very worried about the health of my daughter, and all the other Australians there as well," Mr Xu said.

"Many of our friends are stuck in the same situation. Their children are stuck in Wuhan with their grandparents, too, and there's nothing we can do.

"We can't fly there to get them back to Australia, and they can't go out at all."

Child staying just kilometres from ground zero

Mr Xu's mother lives just kilometres away from the seafood market in Wuhan where the outbreak is believed to have started.

The virus has killed at least 26 people and infected at least 850 more. Mr Xu has called on the Federal Government to do more to help Australians and their families in Wuhan and affected areas.

"I'm not saying it has to be extraction straight away, I'm just saying they might be able to do something," he said.

"I really want her to get back to Australia. If she's sick, I'd rather let the Australian medical resources to keep her safe. It won't be safe in Wuhan right now."

China put Wuhan under lockdown this week, amid concerns the virus could spread rapidly as hundreds of millions of Chinese travel during the week-long Lunar New Year holiday.

Bus, subway, ferry and long-distance passenger transportation networks have been suspended, and the airport and train stations were closed to outgoing passengers, state TV said.

Since then, local media reports say a number of other cities in Hubei province have taken similar measures in an attempt to halt the virus' spread.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 24 seconds 24 s Authorities conduct body temperature checks on commuters as most residents stay indoors.

People queuing at hospitals, safety equipment sold out

Photos from Wuhan show long queues at hospitals as hundreds of concerned patients seek tests and medical help.

"There's no gloves, no masks that can be bought. All the markets are pretty much a no-no for locals," Mr Xu said.

"My mother is currently staying with a baby in her house without touching anyone."

Mr Xu had planned to fly to Wuhan this weekend, but his flight was cancelled and refunded after the lockdown was announced.

"We were planning to get [our daughter] back on Saturday this week," he said.

"Then the lockdown happened, and we're not allowed to do anything."

Australia's chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said on Friday there had been no confirmed cases of the virus, but at least four people were being assessed in New South Wales and Queensland.

The virus has already spread to other Chinese cities and overseas, including Thailand, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

The ABC approached DFAT for comment.