China: Wuhan Expands Controls by Closing Residential Complexes

China’s health authorities Tuesday strengthened the quarantine in Wuhan by closing all existing residential complexes inside the city.

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According to the municipal government's new guidelines, all urbanizations will be sealed to minimize the flow of people among the various areas of the city.

To achieve the above, the urbanizations will be surrounded by fences that will impede traffic but will not prevent the receipt of food orders and other household goods.

Wuhan is the epicenter of the pneumonia epidemic caused by the new coronavirus and keeps its nine million inhabitants in quarantine since January 23.

Simultaneously, the municipal government is carrying out a large-scale disinfection operation whereby streets and other public places are disinfected twice a day to contain the coronavirus diffusion.

The local authorities also indicated that all buildings with confirmed or suspected cases of pneumonia should be sealed and managed "strictly".

All people who have a fever or other coronavirus-related symptoms should seek medical attention at the nearest health center and not go to health facilities in other districts.

If people must be admitted and the health center does not have enough beds, the clinic must find a place in the neighborhood where the observation period can take place.

Chinese authorities asked citizens to "actively support" these measures and to deter those who "interfere and hinder" their application.​​​​​​​

Until Tuesday morning, Wuhan recorded 43 percent of Chinese pneumonia cases (18,454 people) and 74 percent of patients killed by the coronavirus (748 people).​​​​​​​