Published 23:24 IST, January 25th 2020
Beijing suspends buses entering or leaving the city to contain new Coronavirus
China's capital, Beijing has announced that it will suspend buses that enter and exit the city to prevent further spread of the deadly virus, as per reports.
China's capital, Beijing has announced that it will suspend buses that enter and exit the city to prevent further spread of the deadly virus, Coronavirus according to the state media reports on January 25. The authorities have taken this decision in a bid to contain the new SARS-like virus that has killed dozens in the country. According to reports, "all passenger transport by road" that moves in and out of Beijing will be suspended from Sunday. The deadly virus has claimed 41 lives and affected more than 1000 people.
Outbreak caused panic worldwide
The outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus (nCOV) has caused widespread alarm and panic across the world. With its epicentre in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the virus has slowly spread across the globe with cases being reported in the US, Europe (in France), Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. Thirteen cities, in an effort to contain the virus, have issued a travel ban and now officials have reported that Wuhan, which is widely considered as the epicentre of the virus, will be restricting car traffic from Sunday. As of Saturday, Chinese officials have placed a ban on 13 cities, out of which 12 are in Hubei Province. The ban has also restricted the travel of as many as 56 million people amid constant fears that transmission rate will accelerate due to increased travel during the Lunar New Year.
Virus infects more than 1000 people
Many people stayed home with temples, major tourist sites and movie theatres all shut as authorities sought to limit the spread of the virus. The virus has also spread outside China infecting people in Japan, Thailand, South Korea, United States, Australia, France, Malaysia, Singapore, Nepal, and Vietnam. However, the global Health Agency WHO has said that it was too early to declare it as a global health emergency. While speaking to an international media outlet, WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organization is not declaring it as a public health emergency of international concern.
Updated 23:24 IST, January 25th 2020