As New Coronavirus Shows Up in U.S., China Locks Down 11 Million in the Ground Zero City of Wuhan
HONG KONG—The city of 11 million where China’s deadly coronavirus outbreak originated is now under total quarantine, a massive lockdown that marks a dramatic shift from the Chinese government’s previously reaction, which was focused on limiting what the public could learn about the spread of the disease.
But the move comes after the virus has spread far and wide, including at least one case in the United States, and it is still far from clear that Beijing is revealing all that it knows about the disease and its transmission.
Wuhan, a major city in central China and a key transport hub, is now cut off from the rest of the country. Flights out of the city have been canceled, as have outbound trains. Public transportation in Wuhan has been shut down. Before the lockdown came into effect, many people rushed to train stations and bus depots to purchase any tickets that would take them out of the city. Now soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army prevent them from even entering those buildings. Police vans are parked in front of toll booths on highways leading out of the city, turning back anyone who attempts to get out.