China warns that the ability of the virus to spread is getting stronger
China warns that the virus's ability to spread is getting stronger
China banned wildlife trade nationwide in markets, supermarkets, restaurants, and e-commerce platforms due to the coronavirus outbreak, the country's market watchdog, agricultural ministry, and forestry bureau said in a joint statement.
Any places that breed wildlife should be isolated, and the transportation of wildlife should be banned, said the statement. The ban will take effect from Sunday.
The virus which has infected more than 2,000 people globally and killed 56 people in China has been traced to a seafood market in Wuhan that was illegally selling wildlife.
[Members of the media have their temperature checked before attending a news conferenceabout the outbreak of the new coronavirus(Courtesy: Reuters) ]
Meanwhile, China's coastal city of Shantou in Guangdong province, will not ban cars, ships and people from entering the city but will strengthen disease controls such as disinfection efforts, local state media STRTV reported, reversing an earlier government statement.
Shantou, which is more than 800 km (500 miles) from Wuhan city in central China, had also said earlier it would suspend the operation of buses, taxis and ferries from 2 p.m. on Sunday.