Published 11:21 IST, January 24th 2020
Japan Health Ministry confirms second case of coronavirus
Japan has reported a second case of a mysterious virus from China, according to the health ministry on Jan 24 and confirmed that a man in his 40s is infected.
Japan has reported a second case of a mysterious virus from China, according to the health ministry on January 24. The health ministry released a statement confirming that a man was infected who is in his 40s and lives in Wuhan, the Chinese city which is the centre of the epidemic and travelled to Japan. The ministry added that the man who arrived in Japan on Sunday is currently hospitalised.
Public transport restricted
After public transport was restricted in Wuhan, the centre of the novel coronavirus (CoV) outbreak, another central Chinese city is being put on lockdown to tackle the spread of coronavirus. According to media reports, Huanggang, a prefecture-level city in easternmost Hubei Province and neighbour of Wuhan, will follow the lead to suspending public transport in an out of the city.
The decision has been made after the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee meeting on the night of January 22. WHO’s Director-General, in a statement, said that there was an ‘excellent discussion’ during the committee meeting and was ‘very impressed’ by the detail and depth of China’s presentation. The decision over declaring it a public health emergency has not been made. The Director-General said that he will decide after appropriate consideration of all the evidence.
Beijing cancels Lunar New Year events
Meanwhile, Beijing has cancelled large scale lunar new year events amid the fears of a mysterious virus that has spread across the country killing 17 and affecting hundreds, according to the reports on January 23. The large scale events include traditional temple fairs, as per the state-run media reports. Two more cities in China's Hubei province said they have incorporated travel bans after the coronavirus infected hundreds of people in its main centre, the province's capital city of Wuhan. Thousands of people are planning to travel home for the Lunar New Year to celebrate the festival this weekend while the authorities try to prevent it from spreading further.
Updated 11:21 IST, January 24th 2020