CHINA – Major celebrations in Beijing and Hong Kong are cancelled as China battles to contain a deadly coronavirus in its Hubei province.
In Hubei hundreds of millions of Chinese prepare to travel over the Lunar New Year.
Beijing and Hong Kong have cancelled some major festivities to prevent large crowds gathering together, the BBC is reporting.
Wuhan and other cities in Hubei have seen far more draconian measures, with curbs on public transport.
The BBC stated that all but one of the 18 deaths have been in Hubei, but there are more than 600 cases, including several abroad.
Due to the low number of confirmed cases overseas -12 – the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declined to designate the virus an “international emergency.”
“It may yet become one,” said the WHO’s boss as the US said on Thursday it was investigating its second suspected case.
