BEIJING, Jan. 27 -- Chinese health authorities on Monday urged strengthening community-level management of people who have been in close contact with confirmed and suspected coronavirus-infected patients.

"As the number of confirmed and suspected cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) increases, the number of close contacts has increased dramatically," said He Qinghua, an official with the National Health Commission at a press conference in Beijing.

Medical and health institutions at all levels shall better cooperate with local communities to conduct epidemiological investigations and identify close contacts, said He.

He called on community workers, family doctors and preventive health care doctors to join the work of monitoring those who have had close contact with infected patients.

The health condition of the close contacts must be checked on a daily basis, and the examination, diagnosis or quarantine treatment will be started immediately once any abnormal conditions are found, He said.