Coronavirus concerns prompt Winnipegger originally from Wuhan to cancel trip home for Lunar New Year
'It's not a good time to go back to home right now,' says Xiaoyu Zhou
A Winnipeg entrepreneur won't be home in China for the Lunar New Year, after cancelling his travel plans at the last minute following the outbreak of a new coronavirus in his hometown.
Xiaoyu Zhou is originally from the city of Wuhan — where the outbreak of the new virus began — and was on his way there to visit his parents for Chinese New Year, but cancelled his plans on Tuesday, he told CBC Radio's Up To Speed host Nadia Kidwai.
"It's not a good time to go back to home right now, and my parents encouraged me to not go home at this point," he said on Wednesday.
On Dec. 31, a cluster of cases of pneumonia was reported in the city of Wuhan. The cause was confirmed as a new coronavirus — a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. The Wuhan coronavirus had not previously been identified in humans, according to Health Canada.
The death toll from the new respiratory virus has risen to 17, Chinese state television reported on Wednesday. The total number of confirmed cases had climbed to 544 as of Wednesday, according to the Communist Party's Peoples Daily newspaper.
The United States announced Tuesday it confirmed its first case of the coronavirus. There have been no confirmed cases in Canada so far.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says the risk to Canadians visiting Wuhan is low, but has updated its travel advisory, urging Canadians to take precautions such as avoiding large crowds.
Zhou said his family has told him that most members of the general public in Wuhan, including his family, are trying to avoid being out and about as much as they can.
However, he said his parents are doing fine right now, and the situation in Wuhan does not appear to be as terrifying as news headlines might make one believe.
"[People in Wuhan] are actually pretty OK," he said. If people have to go out, they are being advised to wear a mask around their mouth and to avoid close contact with people, he said.
Meanwhile, as health officials try to get the outbreak under control, some public events for the Lunar New Year have been cancelled, Zhou said.
He said people are understanding about it and will celebrate at home instead.
With files from The Associated Press and CBC's Up To Speed and Stephanie Hogan