Chinese authorities have suspended transport in and out of Wuhan and 11 other cities to halt the spread of the new Coronavirus that has caused the death of over 56 so far. There are more than 3000 confirmed cases of the virus, which has spread abroad. This lockdown comes amidst the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday where millions of Chinese travel across the country.

Also known as 2019-nCoV, this virus is a new strain of coronavirus that has not previously been identified in humans. Signs of infection with the new virus include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. The Chinese authorities have confirmed that the virus can be transmitted via humans through sneezing and coughing as with regular viruses.

The virus has already escaped China and has been found in Japan, Hongkong, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, France, Australia and the United States. The rapid spread is understood to be due to the presence of the Wuhan international airport that sees tens of millions of passengers traveling through it.

Source- The Guardian

Several countries have already issued travel advisories against travel to Wuhan and many airports around the world have already begun screening passengers for the virus. Citizens are now being advised to avid “unprotected” contact with live animals, eating meat/eggs that are not cooked thoroughly and close contact with any person displaying cold or flu-like symptoms.

If you are within China or in any of the countries that are seeing an increasing number of Coronovirus patients, we urge you to follow local health instructions and get in touch with your closest embassy for further instructions.

Story last updated on 27.01.2020. Await developments.