A video shared by a resident of Wuhan shows people stocking up on supplies as China ordered a lockdown on the city at the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. Details here:
GENEVA/BEIJING - The World Health Organization said on Thursday it was “a bit too early” to declare a new coronavirus a global health emergency as China put millions of people on lockdown amid an outbreak that has killed 18 people and infected more than 630.
“Make no mistake, though, this is an emergency in China. But it has not yet become a global health emergency. It may yet become one.”“We hope they will be both effective and short in their duration... For the moment, the WHO does not recommend any broader restrictions on travel or trade.” Giving details on infections in China, Chinese state television said 634 cases had been confirmed. By the end of Wednesday, China’s National Health Commission confirmed 17 dead in the central province of Hubei.
Most transport in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, was suspended on Thursday and people were told not to leave. Hours later, neighboring Huanggang, a city of about 7 million people, announced a similar lockdown. Chinese paramilitary officers wearing masks stand guard at an entrance of the closed Hankou Railway Station after the city was locked down following the outbreak of a new coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province, China January 23, 2020. China Daily via REUTERS
As well as restricting movement, Wuhan plans to build a new hospital in six days to treat patients, Beijing News reported, citing a construction company source.Nearby Ezhou shut train stations. Beijing canceled large gatherings, including two Lunar New Year temple fairs, and closed the Forbidden City, the capital’s most famous tourist attraction, to visitors until further notice.
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