By Muhammet Nazim Tasci
ANKARA (AA) – Authorities in the Chinese city of Wuhan plan to shut down its public transportation network in a bid to halt the outbreak of a deadly new virus that has already claimed a number of lives and infected hundreds, media reports said Wednesday.
According to the BBC, authorities advised people who live in Wuhan not to leave the city.
All long-distance public transportation including buses and ferries will be suspended and the airport and train stations will be closed to outgoing passengers.
Health officials in China said nine fatalities have been recorded in Wuhan, the capital of central China's Hubei Province, where the fatal virus originated last month.
A total of 440 people were confirmed infected in the country, they added.
The virus has spread to major cities including the capital Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen besides other smaller towns, where 166 such cases were detected.
Japan, Thailand, South Korea and the U.S. have also confirmed cases of the virus while Australia is testing one person for it.
North Korea has temporarily closed its borders with China as a precaution following the outbreak, according to Yonhap news agency.
With the coronavirus raising alarm across the globe, the World Health Organization (WHO) will hold an emergency meeting in Geneva on Wednesday.
*Writing by Fahri Aksut
