LHASA, Jan. 29 -- Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, reported the first suspected case of novel coronavirus pneumonia Wednesday, according to local health authorities.

The patient surnamed Zhang, 34, is from the city of Suizhou in central China's Hubei Province. He came to Lhasa by train from the provincial capital Wuhan on Jan. 24 and was hospitalized on Jan. 25.

The regional center for disease control and prevention diagnosed the patient as a suspected case on Tuesday. Samples have been sent to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention for further tests.

The patient's vital signs are stable, and close contacts have been put under medical observation.