Chinese authorities on Wednesday placed the central city of Wuhan under transport lockdown to slow the spread of the deadly virus which has killed 17 people.
Wuhan, one of the transportation hubs of China, announced they will temporarily shut down every transportation mode in the city including airports, railway stations, ferries and long-distance shuttle buses to ‘ensure the safety and health of the people.’
The whole city and its 11 million people were quarantined and isolated a day before millions of people travel for the Lunar New Year.
Residents are not allowed to leave without specific reason, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Extreme measures are being undertaken as medical staff were seen wearing protective suits while nurses communicate through glass with handheld radios, CBS News reported.
The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCOV), which originated in a seafood market in the city where live animals were also sold, has infected around 570 people including 444 in Wuhan alone.
The new strain of coronavirus has spread to neighboring nations such as Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Cases were also confirmed in Hong Kong, Macau and United States.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization extended the emergency meeting on whether to declare the outbreak as an international public health emergency.
