eijing has today announced major Chinese New Year events will be cancelled to control the spread of the killer coronavirus. Officials in the Chinese capital have scrapped events including temple fairs – which can attract thousands of tourists. Residents have been urged to 'strengthen prevention' against the virus, which has killed 17 and potentially infected thousands. Almost 600 people have been confirmed to have the virus, with cases recorded in the US, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau - as well as China.