Wuhan virus: Thailand to hold Lunar New Year parties despite local pneumonia cases

More than 300,000 Chinese visitors are expected in Thailand during the Spring Festival travel rush, raising concerns about the Sars-like virus spreading

Scientists in Britain estimate the number of cases in China is likely hundreds more than officially reported, although it is ‘too early to be alarmist’

Reading Time:3 minutes

Revellers at a Lunar New Year parade in Bangkok on February 10, 2013. File photo: EPA

Jitsiree ThongnoiandAgence France-Presse

Published: 1:08pm, 18 Jan 2020Updated: 4:49pm, 22 Jan 2020

Thailand is set to stage some of the largest Lunar New Year celebrations in Southeast Asia, even as the country has reported two cases of pneumonia linked to a new coronavirus strain originating from Wuhan in central China.

Concerts and cultural shows will be held in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket to mark the Year of the Rat, and more than 1 million visitors from Asia are expected to visit Thailand during the festival week, including over 300,000 visitors from China.

According to Chinese officials, about 3 billion trips will be made during the Spring Festival rush – a period beginning January 10 through Lunar New Year’s Day on January 25 – raising concerns about the virus spreading to other parts of the world.

Scientists in Britain said on Friday that the number of people infected by the new coronavirus – which has similarities with the disease that sparked a global outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) in 2002 – was likely hundreds more than officially reported.

In Wuhan, nearly 50 people have been diagnosed with the virus, which has claimed two lives. Four new cases were confirmed on Saturday by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission, which said the four individuals were in stable condition after being diagnosed with pneumonia on Thursday.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x