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Coronavirus pandemic
ChinaPeople & Culture

Coronavirus suspects in Wuhan ordered to go to quarantine zones

  • Anyone who refuses to relocate will be forcibly moved by the police, city government says as number of new cases continues to rise sharply
  • Confirmed infections in city increase by 894 on Saturday to 4,109, as death toll rises by 32 to 224

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Authorities in Wuhan have set up dedicated quarantine zones for people infected with the new coronavirus. Photo: Xinhua
Liu Zhen
Anyone in Wuhan who is suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus or has been in close contact with a confirmed case must relocate to a dedicated quarantine centre, local authorities said on Sunday, as the contagion shows no sign of slowing down in the city where it was first detected.

People who had been professionally diagnosed as having a fever and pneumonia symptoms would be transported by specialist vehicle to one of the isolation sites, the city’s emergency headquarters said in a statement.

“Patients shall cooperate,” it said. “Whoever refuses to cooperate will be subject to enforcement by the police.”

While the government did not say how many quarantine sites there were, where they were located or how many people would be affected, it said the new rule would take immediate effect.

While in the centres, patients would not be charged for their medical treatment, food or accommodation, but would be required to remain for as long as was deemed necessary by the medical staff looking after them, the statement said.

Anyone else feeling unwell but not confirmed as being infected by the coronavirus should isolate themselves at home, it said.

The number of confirmed cases in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, rose by 894 on Saturday to 4,109, while the death toll increased by 32 to 224.

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