UPDATE 1-Taiwan further tightens restrictions on China visitors due to virus

Taiwan on Sunday further tightened restrictions on visitors from China to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus, suspending entry for many apart from some business travelers and a few other exceptions like people married to Taiwanese.

Taiwan has close economic and cultural links with China and has so far reported four cases of the new coronavirus, which started in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province and where most of the 56 deaths to date have been. Taiwan has already stopped Chinese tour groups from visiting and has now banned all people from Hubei from coming to the island.

Most other Chinese citizens will not be allowed in for the time being, aside from people involved in fighting the virus or on humanitarian grounds, the island's newly established Central Epidemic Command Centre said in a statement. Some Chinese business travelers will also be permitted entry, including people being re-located by multinational companies, but have to agree to have their health monitored for two weeks after entry, the command center said.

Spouses married to Taiwanese will have to stay in quarantine at home for the same period, it said. Chinese students studying in Taiwan will only be allowed back in starting from Feb. 9, the statement said.

Additionally, Chinese passengers will not be able to take ferries to Taiwan's offshore islands of Kinmen, Matsu, and Penghu, it added.