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.
Watch: Trump Calls Slotkin ‘Lowlife’ for Plan to Terrorize, Deter Future Conservatives With the Threat of Legal Punishment
Watch: Dem Sen So Radically Ignorant on Iran That CNN Has to Educate Him – So Bad, CNN Even Takes Trump’s Side
JD Vance declines to endorse Netanyahu despite Trump’s strong backing
Judge walks back ‘untenable’ order against Trump DOJ after tense DC golf course hearing
‘Changes the balance of leverage’: Zelensky tries to hold on as Trump pressures him to concede
Mahmoud Khalil asks Supreme Court to hear deportation case
Netflix Bloodbath Continues – Company Fires Film Chief
Report: Posts from Talarico’s Adoptive Dad Unearthed – Show ‘Best Man’ Dem Knows Joked About Christ and Degenerate Different Way to Kill Him
Media Learns Would-Be Shooter Is Trans, Immediately Starts Using Biological Pronouns to Hide Trans ID, Blaming Men Instead
Repeat offender accused of shooting National Guard member has lengthy history with the law, records show
Former OJ Simpson attorney, longtime friend both support possibility of accomplice in 1994 murders
Trump renews push to rename New Mexico ‘New America,’ touts higher home values and incomes
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Pulled for Season, Doctors Find Multiple Blood Clots in His Lungs
Smithsonian screening dispute puts museum’s commitment to diverse views on trial: ‘Right kind of Black?’
Reporter’s Notebook: Senate sneaks in one last political play before voters have their say
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
Watch: Trump Calls Slotkin ‘Lowlife’ for Plan to Terrorize, Deter Future Conservatives With the Threat of Legal Punishment
Watch: Dem Sen So Radically Ignorant on Iran That CNN Has to Educate Him – So Bad, CNN Even Takes Trump’s Side
JD Vance declines to endorse Netanyahu despite Trump’s strong backing
Judge walks back ‘untenable’ order against Trump DOJ after tense DC golf course hearing
‘Changes the balance of leverage’: Zelensky tries to hold on as Trump pressures him to concede
Mahmoud Khalil asks Supreme Court to hear deportation case
Netflix Bloodbath Continues – Company Fires Film Chief
Report: Posts from Talarico’s Adoptive Dad Unearthed – Show ‘Best Man’ Dem Knows Joked About Christ and Degenerate Different Way to Kill Him
Media Learns Would-Be Shooter Is Trans, Immediately Starts Using Biological Pronouns to Hide Trans ID, Blaming Men Instead
Repeat offender accused of shooting National Guard member has lengthy history with the law, records show
Former OJ Simpson attorney, longtime friend both support possibility of accomplice in 1994 murders
Trump renews push to rename New Mexico ‘New America,’ touts higher home values and incomes
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Pulled for Season, Doctors Find Multiple Blood Clots in His Lungs
Smithsonian screening dispute puts museum’s commitment to diverse views on trial: ‘Right kind of Black?’
Reporter’s Notebook: Senate sneaks in one last political play before voters have their say
“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.
