China coronavirus: Wuhan and Huanggang on lockdown

GBNEWS24 DESK//

A second Chinese city will go into lockdown to control the spread of a new virus which has left 17 dead in the country.

Authorities have suspended planes and trains in and out of Wuhan – a city of a total of 11 million people – as well as all public transport within the city.

Similar measures will take effect in nearby Huanggang, a city of more than seven million, as of midnight.

There are more than 500 confirmed cases of the virus, which has spread abroad.

Countries around the world have announced they will be screening travellers for signs of infection.

Wuhan is at the centre of the outbreak and believed to be where the virus originated.

Residents have been told not to leave. Worried about a food shortage, one Wuhan resident said it felt like “the end of the world”.

The lockdown comes as millions of Chinese people travel across the country for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday.

All outbound flights from Wuhan have been suspended as of Thursday. Several regional airlines – including Malaysia’s AirAsia and Singapore Airlines’ budget carrier Scoot – have announced a temporary halt to flights to and from Wuhan.

Another Wuhan resident said on social media site Weibo that they were on the “verge of tears” when they heard about the closures.