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.
NASA chief pulls back curtain on Trump UFO files after bizarre finds surface in buried fed records
Report: NBA Team Could Interview Woke Women’s College Coach for Head Coaching Job
Democrats break with scandal-plagued Graham Platner, warn of ‘civil war’ in party
Uganda closes border with Congo after surge of rare Ebola cases
Anna ‘Delvey’ Sorokin still posting from New York City as DHS signals her deportation may finally be coming
Federal agents in New Jersey beat back anti-ICE agitators in chaos outside Delaney Hall detention facility
Pro Bowl NFL Running Back Arrested on 5 Charges
US Military Carries Out Deadly Strike on Drug-Smuggling Vessel in Eastern Pacific
U.S. Rushing to Set Up Ebola Quarantine Facility: Report
ACLU hit with foreign money complaint as new election law faces major test
New York sheriffs ‘mad as hell’ as Hochul pushes to ban key law enforcement partnership
WATCH: Purple Heart veteran reacts to Platner’s refusal to apologize for mocking him, shreds PTSD excuse
Israel kills top Hamas military chief in airstrike
Pakistan: America’s most complicated ally — and why Trump is betting on it again
Russia’s drone invasion and the grim realities of remote combat: ‘It’s gonna kill you’
No people in #Wuhan, C China's Hubei will be allowed to leave the city starting 10 a.m. of Jan. 23. Train stations and airport will shut down; the city bus, subway, ferry and long-distance shuttle bus will also be temporarily closed: local authority #WuhanPneumonia #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/8pohJ4Uixo
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) January 22, 2020
Officials report more than 570 people have been taken to hospitals after developing breathing complications after contracting the virus.
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.”
LIVE: Press conference on the Emergency Committee meeting on new #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) https://t.co/8WOYQk9Scf
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 22, 2020
NASA chief pulls back curtain on Trump UFO files after bizarre finds surface in buried fed records
Report: NBA Team Could Interview Woke Women’s College Coach for Head Coaching Job
Democrats break with scandal-plagued Graham Platner, warn of ‘civil war’ in party
Uganda closes border with Congo after surge of rare Ebola cases
Anna ‘Delvey’ Sorokin still posting from New York City as DHS signals her deportation may finally be coming
Federal agents in New Jersey beat back anti-ICE agitators in chaos outside Delaney Hall detention facility
Pro Bowl NFL Running Back Arrested on 5 Charges
US Military Carries Out Deadly Strike on Drug-Smuggling Vessel in Eastern Pacific
U.S. Rushing to Set Up Ebola Quarantine Facility: Report
ACLU hit with foreign money complaint as new election law faces major test
New York sheriffs ‘mad as hell’ as Hochul pushes to ban key law enforcement partnership
WATCH: Purple Heart veteran reacts to Platner’s refusal to apologize for mocking him, shreds PTSD excuse
Israel kills top Hamas military chief in airstrike
Pakistan: America’s most complicated ally — and why Trump is betting on it again
Russia’s drone invasion and the grim realities of remote combat: ‘It’s gonna kill you’
“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.”
Story cited here.
