Iran Press/ Asia: Chinese authorities announced that as many as 36 million people are now on lockdown across 13 cities after the outbreak of a new respiratory illness that has killed 26 people so far.
Hundreds of cases of the coronavirus have now been confirmed in China, with South Korea and Japan both announcing second cases and Singapore two more for a total of three.
A 36-year-old man has died of the illness after suffering fever for three days in the Chinese province of Hubei, of which Wuhan is the capital. A total of 13 cities across the landlocked Chinese province have halted all flights, buses, trains, and ferries leaving their environs in an attempt to contain the virus.
Meanwhile, the director-general of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak was not yet a global health emergency.
Ghebreyesus was speaking after WHO's emergency committee met for a second day on Thursday to debate the epidemic.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday 24 January confirmed a second U.S. case of the new coronavirus from China in a Chicago woman and said as many as 63 potential cases were being investigated as the sometimes deadly illness continues to spread around the globe.
Iranian Embassy in China issued warning regarding this epidemic virus
In a statement released on Friday, the embassy asked the Iranian nationals traveling to China to stay away from quarantined cities and crowded areas in the East Asian country.
The Iranian embassy urged travelers to monitor the latest situation of the virus outbreak at their destination and avoid places suspected of contamination.
At least 26 have died and over 800 been infected by the coronavirus, which has been spreading across China.
The East Asian country stepped up measures on Friday to contain the virus, with public transport suspended in 10 cities, the shutting of temples and the rapid construction of a hospital to treat the infected.
Some famous temples have closed due to the virus. Beijing's Lama Temple, where people make offerings for the New Year, will close from Friday. Beijing also canceled two Lunar New Year temple fairs and closed the Forbidden City, the capital's most famous tourist attraction.
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