China closing down more cities to stop Wuhan virus

China closing down more cities to stop Wuhan virus

A second Hubei city – Huanggang – is being put on lockdown to help control the spread of a virus epidemic that broke out in neighbouring Wuhan, authorities said Thursday.



The train station in Huanggang, which has a population of 7.5 million and is 70 kilometres from Wuhan, will be suspended until further notice from midnight – all vehicles will be checked, and bars and cinemas will be closed, said city authorities.



The railway station in a third nearby city, Ezhou, which has a population of over one million, will also close from tonight, though no other measures were announced.



The authorities had shut down all transport links to Wuhan city where the newly identified virus originated. A fish market which used to sell a variety of live animals was identified as the epicentre of the outbreak.



The outbreak comes just ahead of the Lunar New Year when millions of people will be travelling across the mainland. (AFP, RTHK)