FACTBOX-Latest on coronavirus spreading in China and beyond

U.S. President Donald Trump will seek $2.5 billion from Congress to fight the coronavirus epidemic and U.S. and South Korean militaries are considering scaling back joint training as the virus spreads in Europe and the Middle East.

* Countries around the world are stepping up efforts to prevent a pandemic of the flu-like virus that has now infected more than 80,000 people, 10 times more cases than the SARS coronavirus. * Hubei had 499 new confirmed cases on Feb. 24, the National Health Commission said, up from 398 a day earlier. Mainland China reported 508 new cases, up from 409 on Feb. 23, bringing the total number to 77,658.

* Italy on Monday became the new frontline in the fight against the coronavirus with 220 cases reported from just three on Friday. The death toll stands at seven. * Italy may need to call on the European Union to offer leeway on budget targets due to the outbreak, a senior official said on Tuesday.

* Italian authorities have sealed off the worst-affected towns, closed schools and halted the carnival in Venice, where there were two cases. * The European Parliament advised staff to self-isolate if they have travelled to virus-hit regions of Northern Italy in the last 14 days, according to an email sent on Monday evening.

* Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Afghanistan and Iraq reported their first virus cases, all in people who had been to Iran where the toll was 12 dead and 61 infected. Most of the Iran infections were in the Shi'ite Muslim holy city of Qom. * The number of coronavirus cases in South Korea rose to 893 on Tuesday, as health authorities said they plan to test potentially more than 200,000 members of a church at the epicentre of the outbreak.

* Authorities in Weihai in eastern China said on Tuesday they would quarantine people arriving from Japan and South Korea from Feb. 25 for 14 days. * The coronavirus outbreak can still be beaten, the World Health Organization said, insisting it was premature to declare it a pandemic even though it had the potential to reach that level.

* Chinese regions deemed at low risk should fully resume normal activities and end transport bans, a state planning official said on Tuesday. * China's top legislature said it will immediately ban the trade and consumption of wild animals, in a fast-track decision it says will allow the country to win the battle against the virus.

* Americans should avoid all nonessential travel to South Korea due to the outbreak, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday. * Financial markets on Monday ratcheted up bets the U.S. Federal Reserve will be pressed to cut interest rates to cushion a feared hit to economic growth from the spread of the coronavirus.

* An Italian man tested positive becomes third case of coronavirus in Spain. * A Canary Islands hotel was put under lockdown after a case was identified, El Pais reported on Tuesday.

* Outside China, the outbreak has spread to about 29 countries and territories, with a death toll of about two dozen, according to a Reuters tally. * An air transport strike planned for Tuesday in Italy has been postponed until further notice.

* France on Monday blocked coach passengers coming from Milan over concerns one Italian on board might be infected. Ireland cautioned citizens against travelling to virus-hit parts of Italy. * The Hong Kong government warned residents on Monday to avoid all non-essential travel to South Korea.

* Hong Kong has extended its schools suspension until at least April 20, authorities said on Tuesday. * Iraq, which reported four new cases on Tuesday, banned travellers coming from China, Iran, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Italy and Singapore.

* Qatar will ask passengers from Iran and South Korea to remain in home isolation or a quarantine facility for 14 days, Qatar Airways said on Monday. * Japan's J.League says it has postponed seven Levian Cup soccer matches scheduled for Wednesday and all domestic games through the first half of March.

* Global stock markets stabilised on Tuesday after a wave of early selling petered out and Wall Street futures managed a solid bounce after the previous day's sharp selloff on fears about the spreading coronavirus. ($1 = 7.0255 Chinese yuan renminbi) 

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)