US President Donald Trump attends a press conference in the White House in Washington D.C., the US, on Feb. 26, 2020. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday appointed Vice President Mike Pence to oversee the country's response to the novel coronavirus outbreak. (Photo: Xinhua)

US President Donald Trump played down fears of a major coronavirus outbreak in the US as infections skyrocket around the world, even prompting a ban on pilgrims visiting Saudi Arabia.

His comments directly contradicted US health officials whom advised Americans to be ready to cancel large gatherings and work from home. There have been 60 cases in the US so far.

Following Trump's upbeat assessment, the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention said it detected the first case of unknown origins, signaling the virus is possibly spreading within the community.

The US and other countries are also bracing for more cases to come from abroad.

Several governments have advised against travel to Italy - which has 528 cases and 14 deaths. 

Iran's neighbors have closed their borders, while Mongolia has suspended flights from South Korea and Japan.

Trump said the US was considering travel restrictions on Italy and South Korea, which has almost 1,800 cases, the highest number outside China. 

The US has already restricted arrivals from China.

Brazil reported the first case in Latin America with a 61-year-old patient who travelled to the Italian region of Lombardy.

In Romania, a man was infected after coming in contact with an Italian who visited the country.

Greece's first case is a woman who had been in northern Italy, while France, Spain, Croatia, Austria, North Macedonia and Algeria have all reported cases linked to Italy.

A man who returned from a skiing holiday in northern Italy became Denmark's first case.

With the virus spreading in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia suspended visas for visits to Islam's holiest sites for the "umrah" pilgrimage, an unprecedented move, triggered by fears of the virus that may influence the Hajj, which is scheduled in July. 

The foreign ministry said it was also suspending visas for tourists visiting from countries where the virus is a "danger."

Iran has emerged as a major hotspot in the region, where 22 people have succumbed to the disease - the biggest death toll outside China. 

The Islamic Republic imposed domestic travel restrictions for people who are confirmed or suspected cases and curbed visits to major Muslim pilgrimage sites, but it said it was not in the process of quarantining cities.

The US and South Korean militaries announced cancellations to upcoming military exercises on Thursday due to the outbreak. 

The WHO has urged countries to prepare for a potential pandemic, though it stopped short of declaring one.

It has warned that poor countries are particularly at risk, sparking fears of how countries in Latin America and Africa would cope. 

But EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides called for calm.

"This is a situation of concern, but we must not give in to panic," Kyriakides told reporters in Rome.

AFP