▁world ' s ▁population . ▁ ▁H ube i ▁ ▁In ▁H ube i , ▁the ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁ep ide mic , ▁a ▁cord on ▁san itaire ▁was ▁im posed ▁on ▁Wu han ▁and ▁other ▁major ▁cities ▁in ▁China , ▁affect ing ▁around ▁ 5 0 0 ▁million ▁people , ▁which ▁is ▁un pre ced ented ▁in ▁scale ▁in ▁human ▁history , ▁to ▁limit ▁the ▁rate ▁of ▁spread ▁of ▁the ▁disease . ▁The ▁' lock down ' ▁of ▁Wu han , ▁and ▁subsequently ▁a ▁wider - scale ▁' lock down ' ▁throughout ▁H ube i ▁province , ▁began ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁January ▁ 2 0 2 0 . ▁At ▁this ▁stage , ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁the ▁virus ▁in ▁main land ▁China ▁was ▁running ▁at ▁approximately ▁ 5 0 % ▁growth ▁in ▁cases ▁per ▁day . ▁On ▁ 8 ▁February , ▁the ▁daily ▁rate ▁of ▁spread ▁fell ▁below ▁ 1 0 %. ▁For ▁figures , ▁see ▁ 2 0 1 9 – 2 0 ▁coron av irus ▁pan demic ▁in ▁Main land ▁China . ▁ ▁Italy ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁out break ▁spread ▁there , ▁beginning ▁ 2 2 ▁February ▁ 2 0 2 0 , ▁a ▁cord on ▁san itaire ▁was ▁im posed ▁on ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 0 ▁different ▁municipal ities ▁in ▁Northern ▁Italy , ▁effectively ▁quar ant ining ▁more ▁than ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people . ▁This ▁followed ▁a ▁second ▁day ▁when ▁the ▁declared ▁detected ▁cases ▁le apt ▁enorm ously ▁( the ▁period ▁from