International News

China Quarantines City of Wuhan: Population 11 Million

Chinese health officials declared the newly identified Wuhan coronavirus a class-A disease and placed strick precautionary and control measures on affected areas of the country on Wednesday.

In one move, authorities virtually locked down the source city of the virus, Wuhan – a city of 11 million people. Another 8 million live in the greater metropolitan area and are not affected by the lockdown within city limits.

The move followed the confirmation of the death toll reaching 17 on Wednesday. Officials shut down all outbound traffic including buses, subways, ferries, and other long-distance transportation methods, the Guardian reported.



NeverTrump ‘Conservative’ George Conway Eyes Dem Nadler’s NYC Seat, With Not-So Surprising Twist
BREAKING: Trump Admin Issues Ultimatum to Zelenskyy: Sign Peace Deal by Thanksgiving, Or Else
Trump flips Dems’ ‘affordability’ script, turning buzzword into MAGA material as Mamdani visit looms
As ICE readies ‘Swamp Sweep,’ Mississippi pledges to aid — not block — federal crackdown
Watch: The Priceless 30 Seconds Where Rep. Comer Forces Dems to Listen to Hakeem Jeffries Beg Epstein for Cash
Unearthed FEC records expose Katie Porter’s hypocrisy after she fumes at ‘new billionaire’ joining race
Biden’s DOJ subpoenaed top Republican’s phone records and more top headlines
Coast Guard defends dropping hate label for swastikas, nooses, Confederate flags
Miss Palestine’s Connection to Notorious Hamas Leader Exposed Ahead of Beauty Pageant: Report
Quite the Pickle: California Town Seeks to Permanently Ban Popular Pastime
Cheerleader’s cruise ship death unravels amid bitter family strife and questions at sea
Liberal dark money giant rebrands to dodge scrutiny, observers say
Community group works to shield Portland park from crime and drug use
New Twist in Holiday Condiments: ‘Leftover Gravy’ Hits Shelves in Time for Thanksgiving
Muslim civil rights group CAIR sues Texas over Abbott’s ‘terrorist’ designation

Officials report more than 570 people have been taken to hospitals after developing breathing complications after contracting the virus.

See also  ‘Ms. Halligan was not a puppet’: DOJ says Trump’s dislike of Comey isn’t grounds to toss case

China’s National Health Commission Vice Minister Lin Bin told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday that the virus “may mutate and there is a risk of further spread,” NPR reported Wednesday evening.

“We have ensured management of export channels such as temperature checks at airports, train and bus stations, and ports … And we will reduce as much as possible events with large crowds,” Li told the reporters.

During a meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO), officials split on a two-two decision about whether to declare a “public health emergency.”


NeverTrump ‘Conservative’ George Conway Eyes Dem Nadler’s NYC Seat, With Not-So Surprising Twist
BREAKING: Trump Admin Issues Ultimatum to Zelenskyy: Sign Peace Deal by Thanksgiving, Or Else
Trump flips Dems’ ‘affordability’ script, turning buzzword into MAGA material as Mamdani visit looms
As ICE readies ‘Swamp Sweep,’ Mississippi pledges to aid — not block — federal crackdown
Watch: The Priceless 30 Seconds Where Rep. Comer Forces Dems to Listen to Hakeem Jeffries Beg Epstein for Cash
Unearthed FEC records expose Katie Porter’s hypocrisy after she fumes at ‘new billionaire’ joining race
Biden’s DOJ subpoenaed top Republican’s phone records and more top headlines
Coast Guard defends dropping hate label for swastikas, nooses, Confederate flags
Miss Palestine’s Connection to Notorious Hamas Leader Exposed Ahead of Beauty Pageant: Report
Quite the Pickle: California Town Seeks to Permanently Ban Popular Pastime
Cheerleader’s cruise ship death unravels amid bitter family strife and questions at sea
Liberal dark money giant rebrands to dodge scrutiny, observers say
Community group works to shield Portland park from crime and drug use
New Twist in Holiday Condiments: ‘Leftover Gravy’ Hits Shelves in Time for Thanksgiving
Muslim civil rights group CAIR sues Texas over Abbott’s ‘terrorist’ designation

See also  Redistricting setbacks in court slow GOP map push ahead of 2026

“This is an evolving and complex situation,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in a press conference following their meeting. “Today there was an excellent discussion but it was also clear that to proceed we need more information.

Reporters asked Dr. Adhanom about the Chinese lockdown of Wuhan. After praising the Chinese government for their “openness in sharing data and information,” the director said, “We need some time to understand the specific measures that have been taken.”

He later expounded on that comment, saying “What they are doing is a very, very strong measure and with full commitment. We stressed to them that by having a strong action not only they will control the outbreak in their country but they will also minimize the chances of this outbreak spreading internationally.”

Chinese officials stressed the rapidly rising number of reported cases does not mean the virus is spreading exponentially. Rather, Director Li said the number is a result of a deeper understanding of the disease and improvements in their screening process.

The city of Wuhan is shutting down all public gatherings as the Lunar New Year celebration is set to begin. One of the events, the annual prayer-giving at the Guiyan Temple, drew 700,000 tourists in 2019, the Guardian reported.

In addition to shutting down outbound transportation networks, Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang said, “If it’s not necessary we suggest that people don’t come to Wuhan.”

See also  Trump allies may have been pardoned, but here’s why their legal woes aren’t over yet

Story cited here.

Share this article:
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter