On Sunday, January 26, the Chinese government announced that it will extend the Lunar New Year holiday until February 3, while previously it had been due to end on Friday, January 30. The main reason behind the decision is to increase control of the coronavirus outbreak. In Hubei Province and Wuhan City, the centre of the virus outbreak, transportation will remain limited. In other provinces, longer holidays will also lead to reduction of people movements by “adjusting the starting dates of schools, supporting people to work from home by working online,” according to the statement issued after the government meeting on Sunday.
According to official information from the health authorities in China announced today, Monday, January 27, there are 2,744 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus, 461 people in critical conditions, while the total number of deaths has reached 80.
As reported earlier, fears of some delays in restarting construction works in the country and of a possible reduction in overall steel demand and production in early February led to a decline in iron ore prices on the last working day before holidays.
