Coronavirus: 32 million on lockdown in China as death toll rises
24 January 2020, 06:45 | Updated: 24 January 2020, 10:40
Officials in China say the death toll in the coronavirus outbreak has risen to 25, with 830 confirmed cases as 14 people have been tested in the UK for the virus.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned there is an "increased likelihood" of cases occurring in the UK after the virus started to sweep East Asia.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation on Thursday decided against declaring the outbreak a global emergency for now.
Almost 20 million people in three cities in China are on lockdown with public transport closed and in the capital Beijing officials have cancelled major events indefinitely, including traditional temple fairs that are a staple of holiday celebrations, to help control the spread of the virus.
Public Health England said of the 14 people tested in the UK five cases have been confirmed negative, while nine are still awaiting results.
Suspected cases have been reported in Scotland and Belfast with the Scottish Government confirming five people were being examined in the country after presenting with symptoms, it is understood another patient was being tested at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital.
Other cases have been reported in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the US and Vietnam.
While none of the UK cases has been confirmed as the virus so far, two of those being tested in Scotland had been diagnosed with influenza after travelling to Wuhan, China.
All five are believed to have travelled from Wuhan, the city at the centre of the virus outbreak.
Meanwhile, in China, the death toll has risen to 25 with 830 cases confirmed by the country's National Health Commission in the early hours of Friday morning.
The update from the NHC also confirmed the first recorded death outside of the Hubei province, where the virus is thought to have originated.
Bordering Beijing, Hebei's health commission confirmed the death of an 80-year-old man who had returned from Wuhan recently.
The revised death toll came a day after Chinese authorities moved to lock down at least three cities with a combined population of more than 18 million people in an unprecedented effort to contain the deadly new virus, which has spread to other parts of the world during the busy Lunar New Year travel period.
The open-ended lockdowns are unmatched in size, embracing more people than New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago put together.
The train station and airport in Wuhan were shut down, with ferry, subway and bus services also halted.
Normally bustling streets, shopping malls, restaurants and other public spaces in the city of 11 million were eerily quiet.
Police checked all incoming vehicles but did not close off the roads.
Authorities announced similar measures would take effect Friday in the nearby cities of Huanggang and Ezhou.
The Forbidden City, the palace complex in Beijing that is now a museum, announced it would close indefinitely on Saturday.
Levels of concern about the virus are high within China, on the country's all-encompassing Weibo social media platform five of the top six trending topics about Coronavirus.
With "Hang On Wuhan" being the top trending topic on the platform used by more than 500 million users, while others were quick to point out the government had cancelled all Spring Festival films, which are traditionally shown around the Chinese New Year holiday.
-Update of infection case of coronavirus
-City of Wuhan shut down
-Guangdong Province has 6 cases of family coronavirus infection
-All Spring Festival Blockbuster Films delayed screening due to the coronavirus
The need for protection in the country has increased the demand for medical masks, at one medical equipment factory in Chengdu, more than 60 staff members have worked overtime to ensure the supply of facial masks is maintained.
Even with Chinese New Year fast approaching the company has maintained an unprecedented 24-hour non-stop production effort.
Meanwhile, doctors from Shanghai are being deployed to Wuhan to assist overworked medical staff in the city.
Social media users reported within half an hour of the announcement volunteers were being sought 22 nurses from the Shanghai Renji Hospital had registered. The first batch of doctors will arrive in Wuhan on Friday, with three more batches of medical staff expected to follow at staggered times.
Yiyao Zheng is a Chinese journalist and Shanghai native.
