The Russian Prime Minister has signed an order to close the country’s far east border with China as the fast-spreading coronavirus kills at least 170 people in China, Metro reports.

Mikhail Mishustin approved plans to immediately close the 2,700 mile (4345 km) strip, after President Vladimir Putin ordered officials to do everything possible to prevent the spread of the new disease.

He told his cabinet: "We’ll inform everyone today about the border-closure measures in the Far East region and other activities taken by the Russian government [on coronavirus prevention]".

The drastic measure comes amid mounting panic over the pneumonia-like flu, which has rapidly spread to over 15 countries world-wide. India and the Philippines are the latest nations to reveal they have had cases of the deadly disease, along with Japan, Thailand, Germany, Canada and the US.

Chinese authorities revealed on Thursday, January 30 morning that the number of recorded infections of the virus now exceeds 7,700 globally, with at least 170 people dead.

Major airlines around the world have cancelled flights to Beijing, China, and Hubei – the region at the epicentre of the outbreak. The coronavirus is thought to have emerged from a seafood market in Hubei’s capital Wuhan, where animals were being traded illegally. 20 cities are on lock-down in the province, isolating some 50 million people in a sweeping measure to control the disease.