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.
Anthropic’s moral compass architect suggested AI overcorrection could address historical injustices
Supreme Court liberals side with Clarence Thomas on Taliban suicide bomber lawsuit, 3 others dissent
Myrtle Beach man with lengthy arrest record charged with stabbing two people in popular beach destination
Sheriff leading Nancy Guthrie probe admits quitting past police job to dodge discipline
Iran Opens Fire on Three Ships in Strait of Hormuz, Seizes Two of Them
Family of ‘Suicided’ Reporter Who Exposed Clinton in 2016 Comes Forward with Disturbing Inside Info
Red-state AI regulation push has links to the Left
After Dismissing Scandalous Photos, NFL Coach Admits Having ‘Difficult Conversations’ with Family
DOJ Confirms Outrageous Collusion Between Biden Admin and Pro-Abortion Groups to Track, Persecute, and Prosecute Pro-Lifers
Schlossberg unveils plan to crack down on ‘new frontier’ of AI putting the ‘squeeze’ on consumers: ‘Harbinger’
Iran fires on multiple ships in Strait of Hormuz after ceasefire extension
‘Stop this insanity’: Angel mom rips Newsom, Dems for bill to use taxpayer dollars for illegals’ defense
House Democrats demand Kash Patel take alcohol test under penalty of perjury after Atlantic report
Minnesota allows ‘happy hour’ in nursing homes under new law easing alcohol restrictions
ICE detains illegal immigrant accused of sexually assaulting minor after hospital parking lot birth
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
Anthropic’s moral compass architect suggested AI overcorrection could address historical injustices
Supreme Court liberals side with Clarence Thomas on Taliban suicide bomber lawsuit, 3 others dissent
Myrtle Beach man with lengthy arrest record charged with stabbing two people in popular beach destination
Sheriff leading Nancy Guthrie probe admits quitting past police job to dodge discipline
Iran Opens Fire on Three Ships in Strait of Hormuz, Seizes Two of Them
Family of ‘Suicided’ Reporter Who Exposed Clinton in 2016 Comes Forward with Disturbing Inside Info
Red-state AI regulation push has links to the Left
After Dismissing Scandalous Photos, NFL Coach Admits Having ‘Difficult Conversations’ with Family
DOJ Confirms Outrageous Collusion Between Biden Admin and Pro-Abortion Groups to Track, Persecute, and Prosecute Pro-Lifers
Schlossberg unveils plan to crack down on ‘new frontier’ of AI putting the ‘squeeze’ on consumers: ‘Harbinger’
Iran fires on multiple ships in Strait of Hormuz after ceasefire extension
‘Stop this insanity’: Angel mom rips Newsom, Dems for bill to use taxpayer dollars for illegals’ defense
House Democrats demand Kash Patel take alcohol test under penalty of perjury after Atlantic report
Minnesota allows ‘happy hour’ in nursing homes under new law easing alcohol restrictions
ICE detains illegal immigrant accused of sexually assaulting minor after hospital parking lot birth
“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.
