Africans In Delima Over Coronavirus Outbreak

 China virus death toll jumps to 25, 830 confirmed cases. Over thousand suspected cases

Health officials in hazmat suits check body temperatures of passengers arriving from the city of Wuhan at the airport in Beijing.

China rushes to build new hospital for virus within 10 days

China is rushing to build a new hospital in a staggering 10 days to treat patients at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak that has stricken hundreds of people, state media reported Friday.

The facility in the central city of Wuhan is expected to be in use by February 3 to serve a rising number of patients infected by a coronavirus that has left at least 26 people dead and millions on lockdown in an effort to curb the spread.

Dozens of excavators and trucks were filmed working on the site by state broadcaster CCTV.

It will have a capacity of 1,000 beds spread over 25,000 square metres, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Construction began as reports surfaced of bed shortages in hospitals designated as dealing with the outbreak, which has now infected 830 people across China.

Xinhua said the new facility is aimed at "alleviating the shortage of medical treatment resources and improving the ability to care for patients".

China adds ninth city to transport ban

China on Friday added a ninth city to a transport ban around the epicentre of a deadly virus, bringing the number affected by the shutdown to over 30 million as authorities scramble to control the disease.

Authorities in Jingzhou, located in Hubei province where the virus first emerged, said all rail services leaving the city would close from 0400 GMT, while public buses, passenger transport, tourism buses, ferries and other boats will temporarily stop operations as well.

Some 32 million people are now affected by travel restrictions around Hubei.

Chinese movie to premiere online as virus closes cinemas

Chinese movie fans can catch the premier of much-anticipated new comedy this holiday weekend under a 630 million yuan ($91.25 million) deal to issue the film over the internet, as fears of a deadly new virus keep audiences away from cinemas.

The Hong Kong-listed Huanxi Media Group announced on Friday an agreement with Beijing Bytedance Network to show its new movie "Lost in Russia" on Bytedance's online platforms.

Bytedance, which owns the popular TikTok video-sharing app and the news app Jinri Toutiao, said given the efforts to reduce the risks of big gatherings, it had secured the deal to let fans watch "Lost in Russia" for free on its apps.

"The film will keep the appointment to meet everyone on Jan. 25, but the meeting point has changed to your cellphone and television, instead of the cinema," the company said in a statement posted on Jinri Toutiao.

A hotel employee takes the temperature of a person that just arrived at the premise in Wuhan on January 24, 2020. Image Credit: AFP