Connect with us


NEWS

China locks down two cities over deadly virus

Published

on

China locks down two cities over deadly virus

China has locked down two major cities in a province at the centre of a deadly virus outbreak on Thursday

The Asian Nation banned planes and trains from leaving in an unprecedented move aimed at containing the disease which has already spread to other countries.

The respiratory virus has claimed 17 lives since emerging from a seafood and animal market in Wuhan, infected hundreds of other people nationwide and been detected as far away as the United States.

Residents in Wuhan, a major port city in central Hubei province with a population of 11 million people, were told Thursday not to leave “without a special reason”, and the order was backed by a transport shutdown.

Trains and planes out of Wuhan were indefinitely suspended, tollways on roads out the city were closed, leading to fear and panic for those who were trapped.

Hours later, authorities in neighbouring Huanggang announced that public transport and train services would be suspended at midnight, while people were told to not leave the city of 7.5 million.

All of Huanggang’s cinemas, internet cafes, and the central market will close.

A third city, 1.1 million-population Ezhou, announced the train station had been temporarily closed earlier in the day.

“We are feeling as though it is the end of the world,” said one Wuhan resident on China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform, voicing concerns about shortages of food and disinfectant.

“We really need everyone’s help.”

Another described being on the “verge of tears” when the de facto quarantine was announced, with the misery compounded by it coming on the eve of the Lunar New Year holiday.

I love to read, write and TRAVEL!!! The media space is my canvas to paint the truths of our brands and the stories of our Nigerian culture. I love a good book any day because with them I can travel to spaces that are perfect in their frame.

Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending