China Escalates Beyond SARS Response: Shuts Down All Transportation

China has quarantined the entire city of Wuhan to try to contain the outbreak.

Caixin: Wuhan Virus Latest: Wuhan Imposes Massive Quarantine, Shutting Down Public Transit

Wuhan imposed a massive quarantine in a step to halt the spread of the viral coronavirus that first appeared there. Starting at 10 a.m. Jan. 23, all bus, subway, ferry and long-distance bus systems in the city of 11 million people will be suspended, and authorities asked residents to remain in the city.

“Residents should not leave Wuhan except for special reasons,” a government statement said. “Departures from Wuhan at airports and railway stations will also be temporarily closed.” No timetable for resumption was given.

• To contain the spreading virus, Wuhan has started screening vehicles and travelers going in and out of the city by road. Temperature checkpoints will be installed along major routes to the city, a central China transportation hub.

The Wuhan city government also required residents to wear masks in public areas including parks, cinemas, museums, shopping malls and restaurants.

If nothing else, China will offer the world lessons in extreme disease containment measures.

As with any government in a similar situation, faces the catch-22 of success. If they quarantine soon enough, the disease is contained. They are criticized for overreacting. If they wait too long, the disease spreads and they are blamed for doing too little. With SARS, it took a couple of months for a similar response, but this time it is more extreme. Travel to and from, and within Wuhan has ground to a halt. Hopefully they've caught it, but disease experts think it is already in several other cities. Which likely means several more cities will go into a similar quarantine. Hopefully it ends there.

Update: Huanggang and Chibi in Hubei province are now under the same quarantine.