The streets are deserted as the city remains on lockdown (Picture: Sagerune/Newsflare)

Footage taken in China’s Wuhan shows deserted streets and shops as the city remains on lockdown.

Shot by an American woman yesterday, it shows the usually bustling city look like a ghost town.

The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak has now risen to 41, with authorities desperately trying to contain its spread.

Around 11 million people live in Wuhan, with travel in and out of the city now restricted.


Most vehicles, including private cars, are banned in downtown areas from today. The city will assign 6,000 taxis to neighborhoods to help people get around if they need to.

China cut off trains, planes and other links to the city on January 22, and has steadily expanded the lockdown to 16 surrounding cities with a combined population of more than 50 million – greater than that of New York, London, Paris and Moscow combined.

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Wuhan is building two makeshift hospitals with about 1,000 beds each to handle the growing number of patients. The city has said the first is expected to be completed February 3.



The new virus comes from a large family of what are known as coronaviruses, some causing nothing worse than a cold. It causes cold and flu-like symptoms, including cough and fever, and in more severe cases, shortness of breath. It can worsen to pneumonia, which can be fatal.

First detected last month, the virus is believed to have originated in a type of wild animal sold at a Wuhan market to be consumed as food.

Chinese authorities announced a temporary ban on the trade of wild animals on Sunday, saying they will ‘severely investigate and punish’ violators. They also called on the public to refrain from eating wild animal meat.

Around 11 million people live in Wuhan (Picture: Sagerune/Newsflare)

Travel in and out of the city is now restricted. (Picture: Sagerune/Newsflare)

Caption: Eerie footage shows \’ghost city\’ where Coronavirus broke out as China locks down millions

Provider: Sagerune/Newsflare

The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak has now risen to 41, with authorities desperately trying to contain its spread. (Picture: Sagerune/Newsflare)

Investigators are closely observing whether the virus was mutating, but thus far found ‘no obvious signs,’ that it is doing so, head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control, Gao Fu, told reporters.

Britons trapped in the Chinese province at the centre of the outbreak have been urged to leave the area if they are able to do so.

The Foreign Office updated its guidance to ‘advise against all travel to Hubei province’.

But the guidance also added: ‘If you are in this area and able to leave, you should do so. This is due to the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak.’

Home Secretary Priti Patel said the Government was ‘looking at all options’ to help Britons leave Wuhan following reports that officials have been asked to examine the logistics for an airlift from the city.

It came as the number of people tested for coronavirus in the UK passed 30 – although there are still no confirmed cases.

As of Saturday afternoon, 31 people across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland had been tested for the deadly flu-like virus, but all tests have come back negative, according to the Department of Health (DoH).

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