Wuhan is already under virtual lockdown and severe limits on movement are in place in several other Chinese cities. The central city of 11 million people clamped down further on Monday, announcing the immediate suspension of visa and passport services for Chinese citizens until Jan. 30. It has spread beyond Wuhan to Chinese cities Beijing and Shanghai, as well as more than 10 countries including France, Japan and the United States. France, Italy, Japan, Australia and the United States have all said they are working to evacuate citizens from Wuhan. It is rare for Chinese authorities to allow such criticism of public officials on the country’s tightly controlled social media.

Source: National Post January 27, 2020 04:18 UTC