Cases of clustering infections of novel coronavirus pneumonia occurred in several families in a residential community in Beijing, a disease control authority said on Tuesday.

The residential community, which was not disclosed, has been disinfected and is under closed management with restrictions on residents' getting out and coming in, Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a news conference.

People who had close contact with the families are in quarantine for further observation, she said, adding that the households have no relationship between each other for the infection to have spread.

"Residents living the community should enhance self-protection by taking a series of measures, including carefully washing their hands and avoiding paying visits to each others' households or gathering together," she said.