China's Hubei bans vehicle traffic to curb spread of coronavirus

SHANGHAI, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The government of Hubei province, the center of China's coronavirus outbreak, said on Sunday a ban will be imposed on vehicle traffic across the province to curb the spread of the virus.

In a published document, it said police cars, ambulances, vehicles carrying essential goods, or other vehicles related to public service would be exempted.

It added that the province will carry out regular health checks on all residents in the province. It also stated that companies cannot resume work without first receiving permission from the government. (Reporting by Josh Horwitz and Muyu Xu; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)