China puts Wuhan city under effective quarantine amid coronavirus outbreak

China placed its city, Wuhan, the centre of coronavirus epidemic under effective quarantine on January 23 with trains and flights suspended, subways halted and large events called off as doctors with their full-body protective gear treat the patients. It is a drastic step taken by the government to prevent the contagious disease that has killed 17, affected hundreds and reached other countries. The authorities in Wuhan, a major transport hub with seafood market suspended public buses and subways and ordered that the residents should not leave the city of 11 million people "without any proper reasons". 

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Over 570 people infected

Over 570 people have been reportedly infected with the virus across China and the move is aimed at "effectively cut off the virus spread, resolutely curb the outbreak and guarantee the people's health and safety", the circular said according to a Chinese news agency. The decision was taken amid hundreds of people are travelling across China for the Lunar New Year holiday, that starts on Friday. The city's tourism and culture department cancelled all group tours until February 8, as per the reports. The mayor of the city of Wuhan in China has reportedly urged citizens not to travel outside China during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday that witnesses the largest annual migration of the citizens.

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Authorities issue travel advisory

The authorities have issued a travel advisory and warnings in the backlash of Wuhan pneumonia outbreak, coronavirus, which is a mysterious SARS-like disease that has spread around China and three other Asian countries. One case of infection each has also been reportedly discovered in the US and Taiwan. Li Bin, National Health Commission vice minister at a news conference said that the virus is transmitted through the respiratory tract and there is a possibility of viral mutation and further spread of the disease. The World Health Organisation (WHO) was expected to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday to identify whether to declare a  global public health emergency over the epidemic, which has recently been detected in the US, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea. 

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