China: Partial lockdown imposed on city 1000km away from Coronovirus epicentre

In order to curb the spread of the deadly Coronavirus, China has recently imposed its first partial lockdown in the southern coastal city of Shantou on January 26. It is the first such measure taken in a city outside the epicentre of the disease in Wuhan.

As part of the measure, all non-emergency vehicles will be restricted from entering the city of 5.6 million people, from midnight. The city lies a whopping 1,100-kilometre (680-mile) drive from Wuhan, the centre of the coronavirus outbreak. People arriving at Shantou railway stations will be screened thoroughly and 'urged to return', according to the authorities.

Authorities said that the buses, ferries, public transport, and taxis will be suspended. The measure has been taken to contain the deadly virus that has killed 56 people and infected more than 2000 people. As per the health commission, two cases have been confirmed in Shantou. 

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Death toll rises to 56 

The death toll in China's Hubei region, the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus, has risen to 56 and the number of people infected by the disease is close to 2,000, authorities confirmed to the international press on Sunday. Out of the 56 people that died, 52 were from Hubei, the province where the outbreak took place. Two deaths took place in central Henan province, while one person died in Heilongjiang and Hebei respectively.

The virus seems to have originated in China, and is now gradually spreading across the globe. According to international media reports, the virus has spread to Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, France, the US, Singapore, and possibly Canada.

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China bans public transport in Hubei

While the disease is mainly concentrated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, there have been five reported cases in Thailand and three in Japan and France respectively. China reported its first medical professional casualty from the highly contagious Coronavirus on Saturday. The medical professional fell victim to the deadly disease in the Hubei province of China.

According to reports, authorities have deployed military medics to set up the treatment in the region and 13 cities in the country are under complete lockdown. The Chinese government has banned all public transport in Hubei, where 12 out of the 13 locked down cities are located. 

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(With inputs from Agencies)