CHINA LOCKS DOWN FIVE CITIES

Highways, train services shut as officials battle to stop the spread of the coronavirus that has killed 18 and left hundreds seriously ill

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CHINA on Thursday locked down five cities, including Wuhan, suspending all public transport in an unprecedented move to contain the coronavirus that has infected over 630 people and left 18 others dead, dampening the celebrations of the Lunar New Year.

Thursday evening, Chinese officials announced a suspension of public transport in five cities — Huanggang, Ezhou, Zhejiang, Qianjiang and Wuhan in Hubei province, official media reported

He government has sealed Wuhan and Huanggang, a prefecture-level city with over 7.4 million people.

Nationwide, a total of 18 people have died. While 17 of them died in and around Wuhan, one death was reported from outside Hubei — the virus epicenter.

Most transport in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, was suspended on Thursday morning and people were told not to leave. Hours later, state media in neighboring Huanggang, a city of some 6 million people, said it was imposing a similar lockdown.

Chinese authorities gave no new details on the numbers of virus infections but it has been reported in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, and several other countries including the United States, stoking fears it is already spreading worldwide.