Shantou, a city of 5.5m on the southern coast will go on lockdown

Shantou, a city of 5.5m on the southern coast will go on lockdown

The city of Shantou on the southern coast of China in Guangdong province has announced it will be the first outside of Hubei province to go on lockdown.

That means no individual, vehicle or boat will be allowed to entering the city beginning on January 27. What's different here is that Hubei cities are preventing people from leaving; in Shantou, they're baring them from entering.

The choice of this city is extremely concerning. There are only 2 confirmed cases there and many are speculating this is a sign that the entire country is about to be put on lockdown. While that would be economically devastating in the short-term, it would be China's best chance of halting the spread of the virus.