China’s National Health Commission has confirmed the first cases of human-to-human transmission of the new Sars-like virus, fuelling concerns about the spread of the disease after Beijing reported a sharp rise in the number of people infected with the virus.

Chinese authorities said 224 patients with the coronavirus had been identified, including 217 confirmed cases and seven suspected ones. The outbreak comes as hundreds of millions of Chinese prepare to travel across the country and around the world to celebrate the lunar new year later this week.

Of the 217 confirmed cases, 198 are in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, five are in Beijing and 14 are in Guangdong province, which borders Hong Kong. The virus has killed three people since it was identified earlier this month.