Health

Beijing bans birthday parties and other get-togethers to curb coronavirus spread

Restaurants and caterers are not allowed to serve groups of people and should cancel or postpone any such events immediatel.

BloombergFebruary 5, 2020

BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 05: A Chinese man wears a protective mask as he walks during a snowfall in an empty and shuttered commercial street on February 5, 2020 in Beijing, China. China's stock markets tumbled in trading on Monday, the first day back after an extended Lunar New Year holiday as a mystery virus continues to spread in China and worldwide. The number of cases of a deadly new coronavirus rose to more than 20000 in mainland China Wednesday, days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global public health emergency. China continued to lock down the city of Wuhan in an effort to contain the spread of the pneumonia-like disease which medicals experts have confirmed can be passed from human to human. In an unprecedented move, Chinese authorities have put travel restrictions on the city which is the epicentre of the virus and neighbouring municipalities affecting tens of millions of people. The number of those who have died from the virus in China climbed to over 490 on Thursday, mostly in Hubei province, and cases have been reported in other countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and several others. The World Health Organization has warned all governments to be on alert and screening has been stepped up at airports around the world. Some countries, including the United States, have put restrictions on Chinese travellers entering and advised their citizens against travel to China. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

China’s capital barred people from gathering for meals, celebrating birthdays and holding banquets in an attempt to curb the spread of the deadly new coronavirus.

Restaurants and caterers are not allowed to serve groups of people and should cancel or postpone any such events immediately, local authorities said at a briefing on Wednesday. The order also includes any holiday celebrations or graduation parties, it said.

The city is the latest to stop people from sharing meals with each other, which is one way the virus that has killed almost 500 people can spread. China has gone to extreme measures to contain the epidemic, including quarantining more than 50 million people and extending the annual Lunar New Year holiday.

Sichuan province — known internationally for its hotpot made with peppercorns from the region — banned dinner gatherings from Jan. 25. Shaanxi, which borders the Hubei province where the virus originated, did the same on Jan. 27.

The number of total confirmed cases of coronavirus in mainland China rose to 24,324 as of Feb. 4, according to the National Health Commission. The death toll is at 490, it said in a statement.

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