China restricts travel in 2 more cities near epicenter of coronavirus outbreak: reports
‘Very little evidence’ the coronavirus epidemic is under control, says virology expert
The CDC confirms a Washington state resident is the first U.S. case of the coronavirus, which is blamed for at least 17 deaths in China and for sickening more than 460 others; insight from Dr. Robert Siegel, professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University.
The Chinese government restricted travel in two cities near Wuhan– the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus— and suspended public transportation in the locations as of Thursday evening, according to reports.
Authorities in Huanggang, in Hubei Province, which is around 50 miles southeast of Wuhan, suspended bus and train service and temporarily closed enclosed venues like movie theatres and internet cafes, the city’s public television said, according to Reuters.
Rail service in Ezhou, a smaller city south of Huanggang, is also being stopped, according to the New York Times.
Officials said residents of the city of more than 7 million should only leave under special circumstances, Reuters reported.
The restrictions come just before the Lunar New Year when hundreds of millions of people are expected to travel through China for the celebrations, The Times reported.
CHINA QUARANTINES WUHAN AMID CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
Wuhan, which has a population of more than 11 million people, was placed under quarantine Thursday morning and officials planned to shut down the airport and public transportation.
Xinhua News Agency said on Thursday that the city had asked people not to leave Wuhan without specific reasons, and the People’s Daily newspaper tweeted that no one would be allowed to leave the city starting at 10 a.m. and that train stations and the airport will shut down. It said that city buses, subways, ferries and long-distance shuttle buses would also be temporarily closed, citing Wuhan authorities.
The highly-contagious virus has been linked to at least 17 deaths and has sickened more than 500 others.
President Trump said in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday that the United States has a plan to contain the virus after the first case was reported in the country this week.
“It’s one person coming in from China. We have it under control. It’s going to be just fine,» Trump said in an interview.
The Seattle man, who is the only diagnosed case in the U.S., remains in isolation, KOMO-TV reported.
Major airports in New York and California have started screening passengers returning from areas affected by the outbreak.
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Cases have also been confirmed in Thailand, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.
Fox News’ Alexandria Hein contributed to this report.
