Beijing orders closure of schools amid 'severe' coronavirus outbreak

Beijing ordered the closure of all the capital's schools on Tuesday as authorities scrambled to contain a 'severe' outbreak of coronavirus. The reintroduction of draconian lockdown measures follows the discovery of 106 cases of the virus in the Chinese capital since last Thursday, with the origin of the burst traced to a wholesale food market. Residents in high-risk neighbourhoods have been sealed inside their housing compounds, while those in medium-risk areas are banned from leaving the city.