China coronavirus: three cities join Wuhan in quarantine lockdown as Beijing tries to contain deadly outbreak
- All public transport closed down in city of Wuhan, in central China, to try to limit spread of infection – and three neighbouring cities follow suit
- Scramble to leave Wuhan before road and rail closures, while those staying stock up on food and medical supplies
Local residents had rushed to railway stations and the airport after the announcement of the lockdown on Wednesday night. The government told residents not to leave the city without “special reasons”.
On Thursday afternoon, the neighbouring city of Huanggang also announced a lockdown, starting at midnight, halting its public transport and trains out of the city. People were ordered not to leave unless in exceptional circumstances.
Two other cities in Hubei province, Ezhou and Chibi, later announced that they would also be locked down, starting at 4pm and midnight respectively.
It came as the number of people confirmed to be infected on the mainland reached 571, with 17 deaths, as of midnight on Wednesday, according to China’s National Health Commission. The southern province of Guangdong, bordering Hong Kong, had reported six new infections, taking its confirmed total to 32, according to People’s Daily.
High-speed departures
