Children wear masks to prevent an outbreak of a new coronavirus at the Hong Kong West Kowloon High Speed Train Station, in Hong Kong, China January 23, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)

At the end of Wednesday, 17 deaths from the virus have been reported, all in Hubei province. Wuhan’s local government said it will shut down all urban transport networks and suspend outgoing flights on Thursday, state media said. The government is urging citizens not to leave the city, except in special circumstances. The disease has also been reported in the US, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a day-long meeting on Wednesday that WHO will decide on Thursday whether to declare a global emergency over the outbreak of a new flu-like virus spreading in and beyond China.