A second city in China is going into lockdown to try and stop the spread of a deadly new virus which has emerged in the country.
Authorities in Huanggang today announced it would suspend its public buses and trains as well as ordering cinemas and internet cafes to close their doors.
The development comes as Wuhan – the city at the centre of the outbreak – nears the end of its first day in lockdown, with all flights out of the city cancelled and residents told not to leave.
Videos have shown chaos in Wuhan today, with footage depicting a government worker using gas to disinfeca park, traffic building up on a blocked highway and people scrapping over food in a crowded supermarket.
Travellers have spread the coronavirus to 7 countries already and European health officials say ‘further global spread is likely’, adding it’s likely to make it to Europe.
The World Health Organization has not yet decided what action to take and is expected to meet again today to consider whether it is an international emergency.
Scientists yesterday warned as many as 10,000 people could have been infected in Wuhan alone and said they couldn’t rule out the virus already being in the UK.
The British Government has stepped up measures to stop the virus, with passengers on the last flight from Wuhan last night being channeled through a separate area of London’s Heathrow airport.
The virus, which can cause pneumonia, has never been seen before so is poorly understood, but scientists now suggest it may have spread to humans from snakes.
Read more: daily mail
