China’s Virus Cases Top 20K

BEIJING (AP) – China says the number of infections from a new virus has surpassed 20,000 as medical workers and patients arrived at a new hospital and President Xi Jinping said “we have launched a people’s war of prevention of the epidemic.” Xi presided over a special meeting of the top Communist Party body, saying the country must race against time to curb the spread of the virus. Hong Kong reported its first death from the illness and shut almost all of its land and sea border crossings with the mainland after medical workers began a strike demanding the border be closed completely. Their union has threatened a bigger walkout Tuesday.