Seven persons, including five Nigerians, have tested positive for coronavirus after eating at the same restaurant in China, sparking fears of a new outbreak as the country scrambles to get back to normal.

This is coming as authorities in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou are investigating a possible series of community transmission of the killer bug.

According to the Daily Mail Online, four of the victims had recently visited the same eatery, Emma Food, multiple times.

The Guangzhou Health Commission disclosed that the restaurant owner along with her daughter and another child later tested positive for the contagion.

The coronavirus epidemic erupted in China after dozens of people suffering ‘mysterious viral pneumonia’ were linked to the same seafood market in Wuhan.

Guangzhou is situated 1,028 kilometres (638 miles) south of the former epicentre.

Yuexiu District, where the restaurant is located, has imposed strict measures in a response to the new cluster of infections, according to the press.

The new cases have raised an alarm in Guangzhou which has so far reported 466 coronavirus cases.

The Emma Food restaurant has been closed for inspection and other restaurants in the district have similarly been forced to shut down for 14 days, Chinese media report.