'Sealed off': China isolates city of virus outbreak
BEIJING, China — The Chinese city at the heart of a deadly virus outbreak is under effective quarantine, with outward flights and trains suspended, subways halted and large public events cancelled as doctors in full-body protective suits treat patients.
The coronavirus has spread across China and beyond, with 17 people killed and
Most cases are in Wuhan, a major transport hub with a seafood market that has
Authorities announced that flights and trains out of the city will
"Without a special reason, city residents should not leave Wuhan,", the central city's special command centre to combat the virus said, according to state media.
The decision came as hundreds of millions of people are travelling across China for the Lunar New Year holiday, which starts on Friday.
The city's tourism and culture department cancelled all group tours until February 8, Xinhua said.
Tourist attractions and star-rated hotels must also suspend all large-scale activities until that date, it added.
The provincial library and two major local theatres cancelled exhibitions and performances, while four museums have suspended operations until further notice, it said.
City officials had earlier urged people to stay away from Wuhan and for residents to avoid leaving.
The annual prayer-giving at the city's
Sealed off
The hashtag "Wuhan
"Once there's a suggestion of a new development, the first thought is to maintain stability
Comments deemed politically sensitive
Others commended the government's response, with one person saying "we should spare no effort in supporting
Fever scanners were checking passengers at the city's airport and train station this week.
Footage on state broadcaster CCTV showed Wuhan medical staff in full-body protective suits, gloves and plastic face visors as they registered patients.
The patients, wearing normal clothes with face masks, had their temperatures checked as queues snaked out of the consultation room into the corridor.
A prominent expert from China's National Health Commission confirmed this week that
However, animals
Police have conducted spot checks for live poultry or wild animals in vehicles exiting and entering the city.
The city government announced the series of tightening measures after facing criticism for going ahead with an annual public banquet for 40,000 families at the weekend, despite the spread of the virus.
Wuhan's mayor told state broadcaster CCTV that they didn't then fully understand how the virus
"We are constantly learning more about the epidemic," he said.
Follow this page for updates on a mysterious pneumonia outbreak that has struck dozens of people in China.
Antoine Flahault, director of the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva says that there is a "fragile, armed peace" with COVID-19.
"In the hopes of stemming the tide of the pandemic and reducing mortality, we need to reduce the level of contamination, which the vaccine cannot do alone," he tells AFP.
"We need a new phase -- improving the quality of indoor air."
China reports zero new COVID-19 infections in Shanghai for the first time since March on Saturday, as the country's latest outbreak subsides after months of virus-spurred lockdowns and restrictions.
China is the last major economy still committed to a zero-Covid strategy, stamping out new cases with a combination of targeted lockdowns, mass testing and lengthy quarantines.
The economic hub of Shanghai was forced into a months-long lockdown during a Covid surge this spring driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant, while the capital Beijing shuttered schools and offices for weeks over a separate outbreak. — AFP
Beijing starts a new round of mass testing in its most populous downtown district after a rapidly spreading outbreak linked to a bar saw Covid rules tightened again in the capital.
A night of partying by one Beijing resident last week threw the city's tentative reopening into chaos, leading authorities to shutter nightlife venues in the downtown district of Chaoyang days after they reopened last Monday.
The resident, who did not get tested for 14 days, went to several bars and nightlife venues in Chaoyang in the days before and after developing a fever.
The outbreak stemming from the Heaven Supermarket bar has infected at least 183 people in 15 districts so far. — Agence France Presse
City authorities say that Shanghai will lock down a district of 2.7 million people on Saturday to conduct mass coronavirus testing as the Chinese metropolis struggles to fully emerge from punishing curbs.
The city eased many restrictions last week, after confining most of its 25 million residents to their homes since March as China battled its worst COVID-19 outbreak in two years.
But the lockdown was never fully lifted, with hundreds of thousands in China's biggest city still restricted to their homes and multiple residential compounds put under fresh stay-home orders.— AFP
City officials say Beijing will gradually lift COVID-19 restrictions this week.
After some easing in recent days, the Chinese capital -- which reported 19 new infections Sunday -- announced residents would start returning to work from Monday and schools would reopen from June 13.
China is wedded to a zero-COVID strategy of hard lockdowns, mass testing and long quarantine periods to wipe out clusters as they emerge. — AFP
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