China virus toll rises to 54 dead, more than 300 new cases: Govt

Millions in the central Chinese province of Hubei continued to be under a government-imposed lockdown to contain the outbreak which is spiralling out of control and claiming lives.

The number of reported deaths from a viral outbreak in China has risen to 54, with authorities in hard-hit Hubei province on Sunday reporting 13 new fatalities and 323 new confirmed cases.

A policeman wearing a face mask takes a tourist's temperature at the Qinhuai scenic zone in Nanjing in eastern China's Jiangsu province. (AP)

The latest numbers from Hubei, the epicentre of the contagion, would put the nationwide total of confirmed infections at 1,610, based on figures previously released by the central government.