PHOENIX — The images coming out of China are concerning. Travel restrictions are leading to empty streets across major cities in China.
A cruise ship carrying 400 passengers from the United States, now quarantined at a Japanese port after 20 people tested positive for the coronavirus.
People around the world are trying to keep up with the number of cases. Peter Ruiyang is one of them, a teenager from China studying abroad here in the Valley. He says his family back in China rarely leaves their house.
"Just like go to once or twice a day just to throw out the trash or buy some basic needs," said Peter. "Things like that."
There's now more than 28,000 cases of the virus in China. Peter says 173 people of those are from his province. One of them is his friend who is now in the hospital.
"She sent me the picture of the hospital, the paper the hospital handed to her that confirm it is, you know virus," said Peter.
His friend is only 15 years old. At this point, her condition is getting worse.
Peter is hoping to go back to China in May but those plans may change. Several major U.S. airlines have canceled all flights to China. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global health emergency.