US President Donald Trump said he will hold a news conference Wednesday on "very important news" from the Food and Drug Administration related to the new coronavirus.

(Photo: AFP)

Trump, who referred to the disease as the "Chinese virus" in one of a series of tweets, shed no light on the development to be disclosed.

"I will be having a news conference today to discuss very important news from the FDA concerning the Chinese Virus!"

The FDA is the US agency that is responsible for ensuring the safety of drugs, vaccines and medical devices as well as US foods.

More than 100 people have died of the virus in the United States, which has nearly 6,500 confirmed cases of the disease, according to a running tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.