Coronavirus: Chinese cities in lockdown as virus spreads

More than 100 fatalities have already been recorded, while new cases have been recorded in Germany, America, Australia, France, Malaysia and Hong Kong, among others.

A staff member checks the temperature of a passenger entering a subway station, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Beijing, China January 28, 2020. (photo credit: CARLOS GARCIA RAWLINS/ REUTERS)
A staff member checks the temperature of a passenger entering a subway station, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Beijing, China January 28, 2020.
(photo credit: CARLOS GARCIA RAWLINS/ REUTERS)
The Coronavirus continues to spread, with new cases being reported globally.
The novel strain is known to have originated in Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province, which is home to 11 million.
The only lab in China designated for researching some of the world's most dangerous pathogens is located in the city, 20 miles away from the Huanan Seafood Market which is believed to be the outbreak's epicenter.
According to The Daily Mail, Chinese scientists warned in 2017 that a SARS-like virus might escape the lab, possibly infecting the area's residents.
On Monday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited the central city of Wuhan as the government sought to signal it was responding seriously to the crisis.
35 million people, greater than the population of Texas and nearly the population of the state of California, have been placed under quarantine in the country, as the Chinese authorities locked down 12 cities in an attempt to halt the virus's spread.