
GUANGZHOU -- The government of Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, said Thursday it will extend its business shutdown for a third time, this time to March 10, more than a month and a half after the Lunar New Year holiday was slated to end.
All companies except those in certain essential industries, such as public utilities, medicine and food, will be asked to remain closed to keep the virus from spreading in workplaces and on public transit. The halt was previously slated to run through Thursday.