China on Thursday said it would spare no effort to ensure the novel coronavirus epicentre of Hubei province was well protected from flooding this summer, amid warnings that heavier-than-usual rain could cause widespread damage. Water levels in 148 rivers in China have risen above warning thresholds, Vice Minister of Water Resources Ye Jianchun told a news conference in Beijing, with nationwide rainfall 6% higher than the average for the same period in previous years. The mayor of Hubei’s provincial capital, Wuhan, which is at the confluence of the Yangtze and Han rivers in central China and saw the first reported novel coronavirus cases last year, warned in March of the need to prepare for floods.
