When they come back, they will bring the Wuhan with them. That's what you get when you open the floodgates to everybody. There are so many foreigners here, it looks like a whorehouse.
-
IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
[COVID-19 Virus] The PRC Situation Thread
- Thread starter laksaboy
- Start date
they steal? or pay for masks?
stinky = teeny tiny pee-sai.
no need to magnify its importance
stinkypura = smaller than a big tiong metropolis like shung high or peckking
Cathay Pacific to allow cabin crew to wear masks on mainland China flights due to virus
Cathay Pacific
File photo of Cathay Pacific cabin crew. (AFP/PHILIPPE LOPEZ)
22 Jan 2020 09:01AM
(Updated: 22 Jan 2020 01:38PM)
Bookmark
HONG KONG: Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways will allow cabin crew to wear a surgical mask while operating mainland China flights due to concerns over a new coronavirus, and passengers to Wuhan to change or cancel flights without charge through Feb 15.
The airline's flight attendant had on Tuesday (Jan 21) called for permission to wear masks on all flights globally as cases have also been confirmed in the United States, Thailand, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.
The coronavirus struck as millions of Chinese prepared to travel for the Chinese New Year, heightening contagion risks and posing a fresh threat to demand for the airline, which has been battered by months of sometimes violent protests in Hong Kong.
READ: Wuhan pneumonia outbreak: A timeline of how the new coronavirus spread
The Cathay Pacific Airways Flight Attendants Union said it had received a "tremendous" amount of emails and messages from members concerned over catching the virus given they are exposed to more than 300 passengers from numerous places on a single flight.
"All of them are worried about the risk they are taking every time they go to work," the union said on its Facebook page on Tuesday.
READ: Wuhan virus: Infectious diseases centre Singapore's first line of defence
"It is time for the company to properly address their concerns and allow cabin crew to wear masks on all flights."
Cathay said on Wednesday it had told crew they could use their discretion and choose to wear a surgical mask while operating on mainland China flights.
On Tuesday evening, its website said with immediate effect, rebooking, rerouting and refund charges would be waived for all tickets arriving to or departing from Wuhan through Feb 15.
China's aviation regulator on Tuesday evening told mainland carriers to refund or change flights to Wuhan without charge at the request of passengers, which analysts at Daiwa said had affected more than 24 airlines.
Some other travel firms are also allowing free cancellations on bookings to Wuhan.
China's aviation regulator on Tuesday evening told mainland carriers to refund or change flights to Wuhan without charge at the request of passengers, which analysts at Daiwa said had affected more than 24 airlines.
Some other travel firms are also allowing free cancellations on bookings to Wuhan.
The death toll from the virus, which first emerged in the central city of Wuhan, has reached nine while more than 400 people have now been infected in 13 provinces and municipalities.
Cases have also been confirmed in Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Macau and the United States, all involving people who had been to Wuhan.
READ: Wuhan pneumonia outbreak: Asia ramps up defence against coronavirus
CATHAY'S VIRUS FRONTLINE
Cathay said that as required by the Hong Kong health authorities, it was distributing health declaration forms and will be making face masks and antiseptic wipes available at the boarding gate to passengers travelling from Wuhan to Hong Kong.
"Our frontline staff are reminded to maintain good personal and environmental hygiene, and to remain alert and vigilant while being on the lookout for passengers presenting with infectious disease symptoms," it told the newspaper.
Cathay has already been hit by plummeting demand as a result of the protests in Hong Kong, leading it to cut capacity and defer the delivery of four planes.
READ: Commentary: Why the world needs more than antibiotics to cure infections
Shares in Cathay have fallen by 10 per cent since the start of January as the virus has spread.
Jefferies analysts said shares in Cathay and mainland Chinese carriers could remain under pressure for some time if the coronavirus situation paralleled the 2003 SARS outbreak and cases continued to increase. That coronavirus outbreak killed nearly 800 people.
"During SARS in 2003, share prices only bottomed two months after first being recognised by the WTO on 26 Feb 2003 despite China total passenger traffic declining until June 2003," the analysts said in a note to clients on Tuesday.
Cathay Pacific
File photo of Cathay Pacific cabin crew. (AFP/PHILIPPE LOPEZ)
22 Jan 2020 09:01AM
(Updated: 22 Jan 2020 01:38PM)
Bookmark
HONG KONG: Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways will allow cabin crew to wear a surgical mask while operating mainland China flights due to concerns over a new coronavirus, and passengers to Wuhan to change or cancel flights without charge through Feb 15.
The airline's flight attendant had on Tuesday (Jan 21) called for permission to wear masks on all flights globally as cases have also been confirmed in the United States, Thailand, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.
The coronavirus struck as millions of Chinese prepared to travel for the Chinese New Year, heightening contagion risks and posing a fresh threat to demand for the airline, which has been battered by months of sometimes violent protests in Hong Kong.
READ: Wuhan pneumonia outbreak: A timeline of how the new coronavirus spread
The Cathay Pacific Airways Flight Attendants Union said it had received a "tremendous" amount of emails and messages from members concerned over catching the virus given they are exposed to more than 300 passengers from numerous places on a single flight.
"All of them are worried about the risk they are taking every time they go to work," the union said on its Facebook page on Tuesday.
READ: Wuhan virus: Infectious diseases centre Singapore's first line of defence
"It is time for the company to properly address their concerns and allow cabin crew to wear masks on all flights."
Cathay said on Wednesday it had told crew they could use their discretion and choose to wear a surgical mask while operating on mainland China flights.
On Tuesday evening, its website said with immediate effect, rebooking, rerouting and refund charges would be waived for all tickets arriving to or departing from Wuhan through Feb 15.
China's aviation regulator on Tuesday evening told mainland carriers to refund or change flights to Wuhan without charge at the request of passengers, which analysts at Daiwa said had affected more than 24 airlines.
Some other travel firms are also allowing free cancellations on bookings to Wuhan.
China's aviation regulator on Tuesday evening told mainland carriers to refund or change flights to Wuhan without charge at the request of passengers, which analysts at Daiwa said had affected more than 24 airlines.
Some other travel firms are also allowing free cancellations on bookings to Wuhan.
The death toll from the virus, which first emerged in the central city of Wuhan, has reached nine while more than 400 people have now been infected in 13 provinces and municipalities.
Cases have also been confirmed in Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Macau and the United States, all involving people who had been to Wuhan.
READ: Wuhan pneumonia outbreak: Asia ramps up defence against coronavirus
CATHAY'S VIRUS FRONTLINE
Cathay said that as required by the Hong Kong health authorities, it was distributing health declaration forms and will be making face masks and antiseptic wipes available at the boarding gate to passengers travelling from Wuhan to Hong Kong.
"Our frontline staff are reminded to maintain good personal and environmental hygiene, and to remain alert and vigilant while being on the lookout for passengers presenting with infectious disease symptoms," it told the newspaper.
Cathay has already been hit by plummeting demand as a result of the protests in Hong Kong, leading it to cut capacity and defer the delivery of four planes.
READ: Commentary: Why the world needs more than antibiotics to cure infections
Shares in Cathay have fallen by 10 per cent since the start of January as the virus has spread.
Jefferies analysts said shares in Cathay and mainland Chinese carriers could remain under pressure for some time if the coronavirus situation paralleled the 2003 SARS outbreak and cases continued to increase. That coronavirus outbreak killed nearly 800 people.
"During SARS in 2003, share prices only bottomed two months after first being recognised by the WTO on 26 Feb 2003 despite China total passenger traffic declining until June 2003," the analysts said in a note to clients on Tuesday.
Why buy when Sinkieland will give to them.
Be careful, they might buy up all the diapers too. Then when your baby pee and poo you have to clean up yourself.
The masks look more like schoolgirl panties to me....
On the menu at Wuhan virus market: Rats and live wolf pups
The Wuhan Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market
The Wuhan Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, where a number of people related to the market fell ill with a virus, sits closed in Wuhan, China on Jan 21, 2020. (Photo: AP/Dake Kang)
22 Jan 2020 07:32PM
(Updated: 22 Jan 2020 08:24PM)
Bookmark
SHANGHAI: The food market where China's deadly virus surfaced was a smorgasbord of exotic wildlife ranging from wolf pups to species linked to previous pandemics such as civets, according to vendor information and a Chinese media report.
The Huanan Seafood Market in the central city of Wuhan came under greater scrutiny on Wednesday (Jan 22) as Chinese officials said that the virus which has so far killed nine people and infected hundreds may have originated in a wild animal sold at the food emporium.
Past deadly epidemics have been blamed on wild animals - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was linked to Chinese consumption of civet meat - setting Chinese authorities up for potential embarrassment if lax supervision of wildlife trafficking is found at fault in the latest outbreak.
A price list circulating on China's Internet for a business at the Wuhan market lists a menagerie of animals or animal-based products including live foxes, crocodiles, wolf puppies, giant salamanders, snakes, rats, peacocks, porcupines, camel meat and other game - 112 items in all.
"Freshly slaughtered, frozen and delivered to your door," said the price list for the vendor, "Wild Game Animal Husbandry for the Masses".
READ: Wuhan urges people to stay away in bid to contain China virus
Gao Fu, director of the Chinese centre for disease control and prevention, said in Beijing on Wednesday that authorities believe the virus likely came from "wild animals at the seafood market" though the exact source remains undetermined.
China bans the trafficking of a number of wild species or requires special licenses, but regulations are loose for some species if they are commercially farmed.
AFP was unable to directly confirm the authenticity of the price list. Phone calls to the vendor went unanswered, and attempts to connect to its social media accounts were rejected.
The Beijing News published a photo on Tuesday showing the same vendor's now-shuttered store front, as authorities in white hazmat suits milled about.
Huanan seafood market has been closed while Authorities carry out checks and cleaning
Huanan seafood market has been closed while authorities carry out checks and cleaning. (Phoot: AFP/Noel Celis)
The paper also quoted other merchants as saying trade in wildlife took place up until the market was shuttered for disinfection shortly after the outbreak.
A number of the early sufferers of the virus, now known as the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), were employees of the market.
VIRUS 'SPILLOVER'
Many exotic species are still widely consumed in China or other Asian countries where they are considered a delicacy - like the civet or some rats or bats - or for purported health benefits.
But this brings growing human health risks, said Christian Walzer, executive director of the US-based Wildlife Conservation Society's Health Program.
Walzer said 70 per cent of all new infectious diseases come from wildlife, with habitat encroachment increasing the chances of pathogens spreading.
The Wuhan Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market
The Wuhan Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, where a number of people related to the market fell ill with a virus, sits closed in Wuhan, China on Jan 21, 2020. (Photo: AP/Dake Kang)
"Wildlife markets offer a unique opportunity for viruses to spill over from wildlife hosts," he said.
"It is essential to invest resources not only into discovering new viruses, but more importantly, in determining the epidemiological drivers of ... (the) spillover, amplification, and spread of infectious diseases."
READ: Masks, disinfectants in low supply as China virus spreads
Bats are thought to have spawned SARS, which in 2002-03 killed hundreds of people in Asia, mostly China.
SARS was also found in civets in wildlife markets in China, with many scientists believing the bat virus infected the cat-like creatures and then humans who ate them.
Following SARS, China cracked down on consumption of civets and some other species, but conservationists say the trade continues.
China has so far won praise for its openness and handling of the current outbreak in stark contrast to SARS, when it was accused of stifling information and failing to cooperate with the rest of the world.
The Wuhan Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market
The Wuhan Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, where a number of people related to the market fell ill with a virus, sits closed in Wuhan, China on Jan 21, 2020. (Photo: AP/Dake Kang)
22 Jan 2020 07:32PM
(Updated: 22 Jan 2020 08:24PM)
Bookmark
SHANGHAI: The food market where China's deadly virus surfaced was a smorgasbord of exotic wildlife ranging from wolf pups to species linked to previous pandemics such as civets, according to vendor information and a Chinese media report.
The Huanan Seafood Market in the central city of Wuhan came under greater scrutiny on Wednesday (Jan 22) as Chinese officials said that the virus which has so far killed nine people and infected hundreds may have originated in a wild animal sold at the food emporium.
Past deadly epidemics have been blamed on wild animals - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was linked to Chinese consumption of civet meat - setting Chinese authorities up for potential embarrassment if lax supervision of wildlife trafficking is found at fault in the latest outbreak.
A price list circulating on China's Internet for a business at the Wuhan market lists a menagerie of animals or animal-based products including live foxes, crocodiles, wolf puppies, giant salamanders, snakes, rats, peacocks, porcupines, camel meat and other game - 112 items in all.
"Freshly slaughtered, frozen and delivered to your door," said the price list for the vendor, "Wild Game Animal Husbandry for the Masses".
READ: Wuhan urges people to stay away in bid to contain China virus
Gao Fu, director of the Chinese centre for disease control and prevention, said in Beijing on Wednesday that authorities believe the virus likely came from "wild animals at the seafood market" though the exact source remains undetermined.
China bans the trafficking of a number of wild species or requires special licenses, but regulations are loose for some species if they are commercially farmed.
AFP was unable to directly confirm the authenticity of the price list. Phone calls to the vendor went unanswered, and attempts to connect to its social media accounts were rejected.
The Beijing News published a photo on Tuesday showing the same vendor's now-shuttered store front, as authorities in white hazmat suits milled about.
Huanan seafood market has been closed while Authorities carry out checks and cleaning
Huanan seafood market has been closed while authorities carry out checks and cleaning. (Phoot: AFP/Noel Celis)
The paper also quoted other merchants as saying trade in wildlife took place up until the market was shuttered for disinfection shortly after the outbreak.
A number of the early sufferers of the virus, now known as the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), were employees of the market.
VIRUS 'SPILLOVER'
Many exotic species are still widely consumed in China or other Asian countries where they are considered a delicacy - like the civet or some rats or bats - or for purported health benefits.
But this brings growing human health risks, said Christian Walzer, executive director of the US-based Wildlife Conservation Society's Health Program.
Walzer said 70 per cent of all new infectious diseases come from wildlife, with habitat encroachment increasing the chances of pathogens spreading.
The Wuhan Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market
The Wuhan Huanan Wholesale Seafood Market, where a number of people related to the market fell ill with a virus, sits closed in Wuhan, China on Jan 21, 2020. (Photo: AP/Dake Kang)
"Wildlife markets offer a unique opportunity for viruses to spill over from wildlife hosts," he said.
"It is essential to invest resources not only into discovering new viruses, but more importantly, in determining the epidemiological drivers of ... (the) spillover, amplification, and spread of infectious diseases."
READ: Masks, disinfectants in low supply as China virus spreads
Bats are thought to have spawned SARS, which in 2002-03 killed hundreds of people in Asia, mostly China.
SARS was also found in civets in wildlife markets in China, with many scientists believing the bat virus infected the cat-like creatures and then humans who ate them.
Following SARS, China cracked down on consumption of civets and some other species, but conservationists say the trade continues.
China has so far won praise for its openness and handling of the current outbreak in stark contrast to SARS, when it was accused of stifling information and failing to cooperate with the rest of the world.
The smarter Tiongs all buy iPhones. Only the 傻叉 brainwashed fools buy Huawei.
Senior Huawei executives use Apple products themselves.
prc near panic now.
this only means prc is in utter panic.
I am confused.
President Xi told officials whoever withhold information will be severely dealt with. At the same time, he told them must control the situation.
Then how? If they report the extend of the problem, isn't that the officials' failure to control the situation?
Wuhan doing their best for local tourism.
30,000 tourists had already booked tickets to new year celebrations and 200,000 free event coupons had been distributed.
https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/...rges-people-stay-away-bid-contain-china-virus
30,000 tourists had already booked tickets to new year celebrations and 200,000 free event coupons had been distributed.
https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/...rges-people-stay-away-bid-contain-china-virus
China halts flights and trains out of Wuhan as WHO extends talks
Pharmacies in Wuhan are restricting customers to buying one mask at a time amid high demand and worries over an outbreak of a new coronavirus. (AP Photo/Dake Kang)
23 Jan 2020 06:02AM
(Updated: 23 Jan 2020 08:02AM)
Bookmark
BEIJING: The Chinese city at the heart of a deadly virus outbreak is under effective quarantine, with outward flights and trains suspended, subways halted and large public events cancelled as doctors in full-body protective suits treat patients.
The coronavirus has spread across China and beyond, with 17 people killed and more than 500 infected in an outbreak that started in Wuhan - a central city of 11 million people described by state media as "the main battlefield" against the disease.
Most cases are in Wuhan, a major transport hub with a seafood market that has been identified as the epicentre of the epidemic. A few cases involving people who visited Wuhan have been found elsewhere in the United States and some Asian countries.
MORE: Our coverage of the Wuhan virus and its developments
Authorities announced that flights and trains out of the city will be temporarily suspended from 0200 GMT (10am, Singapore time) on Thursday, while the city's public buses, subway and long-distance coaches are also halted until further notice, it said.
"Without a special reason, city residents should not leave Wuhan,", the central city's special command centre to combat the virus said, according to state media.
The move is meant to "effectively cut off the virus spread, resolutely curb the outbreak and guarantee the people's health and safety," the notice said, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
The decision came as hundreds of millions of people are travelling across China for the Chinese New Year holiday, which starts on Friday.
The city's tourism and culture department cancelled all group tours until Feb 8, Xinhua said.
Tourist attractions and star-rated hotels must also suspend all large-scale activities until that date, it added.
The provincial library and two major local theatres cancelled exhibitions and performances, while four museums have suspended operations until further notice, it said.
READ: Masks, disinfectants in low supply as China virus spreads
City officials had earlier urged people to stay away from Wuhan and for residents to avoid leaving.
The annual prayer-giving at the city's Guiyuan Temple, a major Lunar New Year event that attracted 700,000 people last year, was scrapped.
Plans to send opera troupes around rural areas during the holiday have also been pulled.
SEALED OFF
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus meanwhile said he was postponing a decision on whether or not to declare a global health emergency - a rare instrument used only for the worst outbreaks - saying he needed "more information".
"I have decided to ask the emergency committee to meet again tomorrow to continue their discussion," he said, referring to a group of international experts who met for several hours at the WHO in Geneva on Wednesday.
Asked about the transport shutdown, he added: "By having a strong action not only will they control the outbreak in their country but they will also minimise the chances of this outbreak spreading internationally."
Health officials in hazmat suits check body temperatures of passengers arriving from the city of Wuhan, at the airport in Beijing, China. (AP Photo Emily Wang)
The hashtag "Wuhan is sealed off" was trending on China's Twitter-like Weibo, with more than 30 million views.
"Once there's a suggestion of a new development, the first thought is to maintain stability" and stop rumours, "hoping that by muffling it, it will go away," one user said on Weibo.
Others commended the government's response, with one person saying "we should spare no effort in supporting all of the country's policy decisions".
Fever scanners were checking passengers at the city's airport and train station this week.
Footage on state broadcaster CCTV showed Wuhan medical staff in full-body protective suits, gloves and plastic face visors as they registered patients.
The patients, wearing normal clothes with face masks, had their temperatures checked as queues snaked out of the consultation room into the corridor.
Hundreds of people have been infected with the virus in China and 17 have died since the first case was detected in Wuhan on Dec 31.
CONFIRMED CASES
The coronavirus has caused alarm because of its similarity to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003.
The illness is mainly transmitted via the respiratory tract and there "is the possibility of viral mutation and further spread of the disease", health commission vice minister Li Bin told a news conference in Beijing.
More than 500 cases have now been reported, with the majority in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province.
Major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing have also reported cases, as well as provinces in northeastern, central, and southern China.
The virus has also been detected in Japan, Macau, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States.
The Chinese government has classified the outbreak in the same category as the SARS epidemic, meaning compulsory isolation for those diagnosed with the illness and the potential to implement quarantine measures.
READ: China warns Wuhan virus could mutate and spread as death toll rises
But they still have not been able to confirm the exact source of the virus.
Countries have intensified efforts to stop the spread of the pathogen - known by its technical name 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
Passengers are facing screening measures at five US airports and a host of transport hubs across Asia.
European airports from London to Moscow have also stepped up checks and Nigeria, which has many citizens working in China, said it would start checks at entry points.
VIRUS SOURCE
The WHO has confirmed that the virus can be passed between people, at least those in close contact.
However, animals are suspected to be the primary source of the outbreak.
A Wuhan market is believed to be the epicentre of the outbreak.
READ: On the menu at Wuhan virus market: Rats and live wolf pups
A price list circulating online in China for a business there lists a menagerie of animals or animal-based products including live foxes, crocodiles, wolf puppies and rats. It also offered civets, the animal linked to SARS.
"We already know that the disease originated from a market which conducted illegal transaction of wild animals," said Gao Fu, director of the Chinese centre for disease control and prevention.
He said it was clear "this virus is adapting and mutating".
Hong Kong and British scientists have estimated that between 1,300 and 1,700 people in Wuhan may have been infected.
MASK SELLING OUT
Health authorities are urging people to wash their hands regularly, avoid crowded places, get plenty of fresh air and wear a mask if they have a cough.
Anyone with a cough or fever was urged to go to hospital.
Visitors wear face masks as they walk outside the Venetian casino hotel resort as a Lunar New Year light display is projected upon a facade of the building in Macau, after the former Portuguese colony reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus. (Anthony WALLACE/AFP)
In Wuhan, city authorities made it mandatory to wear a mask in public places on Wednesday, according to state-run People's Daily.
Pharmacies in Wuhan are restricting customers to buying one mask at a time amid high demand and worries over an outbreak of a new coronavirus. (AP Photo/Dake Kang)
23 Jan 2020 06:02AM
(Updated: 23 Jan 2020 08:02AM)
Bookmark
BEIJING: The Chinese city at the heart of a deadly virus outbreak is under effective quarantine, with outward flights and trains suspended, subways halted and large public events cancelled as doctors in full-body protective suits treat patients.
The coronavirus has spread across China and beyond, with 17 people killed and more than 500 infected in an outbreak that started in Wuhan - a central city of 11 million people described by state media as "the main battlefield" against the disease.
Most cases are in Wuhan, a major transport hub with a seafood market that has been identified as the epicentre of the epidemic. A few cases involving people who visited Wuhan have been found elsewhere in the United States and some Asian countries.
MORE: Our coverage of the Wuhan virus and its developments
Authorities announced that flights and trains out of the city will be temporarily suspended from 0200 GMT (10am, Singapore time) on Thursday, while the city's public buses, subway and long-distance coaches are also halted until further notice, it said.
"Without a special reason, city residents should not leave Wuhan,", the central city's special command centre to combat the virus said, according to state media.
The move is meant to "effectively cut off the virus spread, resolutely curb the outbreak and guarantee the people's health and safety," the notice said, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
The decision came as hundreds of millions of people are travelling across China for the Chinese New Year holiday, which starts on Friday.
The city's tourism and culture department cancelled all group tours until Feb 8, Xinhua said.
Tourist attractions and star-rated hotels must also suspend all large-scale activities until that date, it added.
The provincial library and two major local theatres cancelled exhibitions and performances, while four museums have suspended operations until further notice, it said.
READ: Masks, disinfectants in low supply as China virus spreads
City officials had earlier urged people to stay away from Wuhan and for residents to avoid leaving.
The annual prayer-giving at the city's Guiyuan Temple, a major Lunar New Year event that attracted 700,000 people last year, was scrapped.
Plans to send opera troupes around rural areas during the holiday have also been pulled.
SEALED OFF
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus meanwhile said he was postponing a decision on whether or not to declare a global health emergency - a rare instrument used only for the worst outbreaks - saying he needed "more information".
"I have decided to ask the emergency committee to meet again tomorrow to continue their discussion," he said, referring to a group of international experts who met for several hours at the WHO in Geneva on Wednesday.
Asked about the transport shutdown, he added: "By having a strong action not only will they control the outbreak in their country but they will also minimise the chances of this outbreak spreading internationally."
Health officials in hazmat suits check body temperatures of passengers arriving from the city of Wuhan, at the airport in Beijing, China. (AP Photo Emily Wang)
The hashtag "Wuhan is sealed off" was trending on China's Twitter-like Weibo, with more than 30 million views.
"Once there's a suggestion of a new development, the first thought is to maintain stability" and stop rumours, "hoping that by muffling it, it will go away," one user said on Weibo.
Others commended the government's response, with one person saying "we should spare no effort in supporting all of the country's policy decisions".
Fever scanners were checking passengers at the city's airport and train station this week.
Footage on state broadcaster CCTV showed Wuhan medical staff in full-body protective suits, gloves and plastic face visors as they registered patients.
The patients, wearing normal clothes with face masks, had their temperatures checked as queues snaked out of the consultation room into the corridor.
Hundreds of people have been infected with the virus in China and 17 have died since the first case was detected in Wuhan on Dec 31.
CONFIRMED CASES
| Places | Confirmed Cases | Reported Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| China | 440 | 17 |
| Thailand | 4 | 0 |
| Japan | 1 | 0 |
| Macau | 1 | 0 |
| South Korea | 1 | 0 |
| Taiwan | 1 | 0 |
| United States | 1 | 0 |
The illness is mainly transmitted via the respiratory tract and there "is the possibility of viral mutation and further spread of the disease", health commission vice minister Li Bin told a news conference in Beijing.
More than 500 cases have now been reported, with the majority in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province.
Major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing have also reported cases, as well as provinces in northeastern, central, and southern China.
The virus has also been detected in Japan, Macau, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States.
The Chinese government has classified the outbreak in the same category as the SARS epidemic, meaning compulsory isolation for those diagnosed with the illness and the potential to implement quarantine measures.
READ: China warns Wuhan virus could mutate and spread as death toll rises
But they still have not been able to confirm the exact source of the virus.
Countries have intensified efforts to stop the spread of the pathogen - known by its technical name 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
Passengers are facing screening measures at five US airports and a host of transport hubs across Asia.
European airports from London to Moscow have also stepped up checks and Nigeria, which has many citizens working in China, said it would start checks at entry points.
VIRUS SOURCE
The WHO has confirmed that the virus can be passed between people, at least those in close contact.
However, animals are suspected to be the primary source of the outbreak.
A Wuhan market is believed to be the epicentre of the outbreak.
READ: On the menu at Wuhan virus market: Rats and live wolf pups
A price list circulating online in China for a business there lists a menagerie of animals or animal-based products including live foxes, crocodiles, wolf puppies and rats. It also offered civets, the animal linked to SARS.
"We already know that the disease originated from a market which conducted illegal transaction of wild animals," said Gao Fu, director of the Chinese centre for disease control and prevention.
He said it was clear "this virus is adapting and mutating".
Hong Kong and British scientists have estimated that between 1,300 and 1,700 people in Wuhan may have been infected.
MASK SELLING OUT
Health authorities are urging people to wash their hands regularly, avoid crowded places, get plenty of fresh air and wear a mask if they have a cough.
Anyone with a cough or fever was urged to go to hospital.
Visitors wear face masks as they walk outside the Venetian casino hotel resort as a Lunar New Year light display is projected upon a facade of the building in Macau, after the former Portuguese colony reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus. (Anthony WALLACE/AFP)
In Wuhan, city authorities made it mandatory to wear a mask in public places on Wednesday, according to state-run People's Daily.
Lunar New Year gathering of more than 40,000 people to go ahead on Sunday in Wuhan
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/pol...der-pressure-resign-over-response-coronavirus
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/pol...der-pressure-resign-over-response-coronavirus
All we need is alcohol hand rub constant washing of hands influenza jab exercise sex lots of water some vit c and we will be fine...will be worrying if the spread continues into spring and the virus multiplies and adapts to warmer weather...as usual chicom covering things up cos really how can this happen at a seafood market with lots of salt and minimal blood...the japanese has been doing this for centuries...ah it's an animal market / slaughter house where this begins very similar to Sars
Similar threads
