Coronavirus quarantines 11 million Chinese
The Chinese government has quarantined two of the country's most populous cities since this morning to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus. At the same time, officials at Abu Dhabi International Airport announced that passengers arriving from China will be subjected to strict screening.
As the World Health Organization warned about the spread of the coronavirus in China, Beijing authorities quarantined the city of Wuhan, with a population of 11 million.
The Chinese government has taken this step to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus. News agencies reported today, Thursday, January 23, that officials have blocked all communication routes with the city of Wuhan and that people are quarantined.
According to AFP, all trains and passenger flights from Wuhan have been banned.
Following the deterioration of the situation in Wuhan, authorities announced that the city of Huagang, located 70 kilometers from Wuhan, has also been placed under special surveillance and all vehicle traffic is restricted.
Entertainment and cultural venues in the city of more than seven million people have also been suspended until further notice. Chinese New Year celebrations in these areas have also been canceled.
Officials in these two cities announced that residents of these cities cannot leave the city without valid reasons.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that starting tonight, train services on the railway in Ezhou, the third closest city to Wuhan and with a population of more than one million, will also be suspended.
The Chinese government is concerned about the spread of the coronavirus and has declared that the quarantines implemented to prevent the spread of the virus are "dangerous."
So far, cases of this virus have also been reported in Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and the United States.
The virus was first detected in the city of Wuhan, China, in the last days of 2019, and it was said that those infected with the virus in other countries were people who had previously traveled to this city.
Patient identification at Abu Dhabi International Airport
As the situation worsened, some international airports also imposed health and safety regulations.
Reuters reported, citing Abu Dhabi International Airport officials, that all passengers arriving from China must undergo strict health and safety screening upon arrival at the airport.
The officials also wrote on Twitter that Abu Dhabi International Airport has begun the process of "screening passengers arriving from China" to ensure the health and safety of all its passengers.
Iran to control passengers arriving from China to check for symptoms of coronavirus
Also, Dr. Mohammad Mehdi Goya, head of the Center for Infectious Disease Management of the Iranian Ministry of Health, announced on Thursday that passengers arriving from China will be screened at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport to check for symptoms of coronavirus.
According to him, "If any symptoms of the disease are observed, the necessary measures will be taken to care for these people."
Meanwhile, the British Health Minister today expressed concern about the spread of the coronavirus to other countries, suggesting that the number of cases of the virus and its human casualties may be higher than the confirmed cases.
Reuters reported from London, citing Matt Hancock, that British health officials expect the virus to increase the death toll as it spreads to other parts of the world.
Some reports put the number of human deaths from the coronavirus at nearly 500.
The World Health Organization has included the coronavirus in a list of viruses that range from the common cold to the SARS virus.
Source: DW
