The Shanghai government reassured residents of the city's public health and safety amid the novel coronavirus epidemic, having taken strict measures to screen suspected patients and uphold standard quarantine procedures.

All confirmed and suspected patients have been quarantined for medical treatment at designated local hospitals and all the people having close contact with them, including families, colleagues and friends, have been quarantined for medical observation or ordered to stay home separately for at least 14 days, the Shanghai Municipal People's Government said at a media briefing on Sunday evening.

"There are some reports online of certain spots in the city where such patients were found but there is no need for residents to be overly concerned of the public health situation at such venues," said Wu Fan, director of the Shanghai Preventive Medicine Association.

She also responded to public concerns over the medical observation spots where people from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, are gathered together. Wu assured residents the spots will not pose health risk to neighbors.

"Such people under collective medical observation are currently healthy and do not show any symptoms of the disease, and such spots are disinfected on a daily basis," Wu said.

Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, said that among the 40 confirmed cases in the city, 15 were long-time residents of Wuhan, 16 had traveled to Wuhan recently and nine were those who had close contact with them.

The commission suggested residents cancel visits to relatives and friends, a tradition of Chinese New Year, if at all possible and wash hands thoroughly whenever arriving home from outside.

The Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission announced earlier Sunday all inter-provincial passenger bus services to and from the municipality had been suspended indefinitely.

The inter-provincial section of Shanghai's Metro Line 11, which links Huaqiao in Jiangsu province to Anting in Shanghai, has also been suspended starting 1 pm Sunday. The line is the country's first inter-provincial metro. The time when the transport service will be resumed is uncertain.

The municipal government will hold a media briefing on a daily basis beginning Sunday to inform the public of the latest disease conditions and relevant public policies.