WUHAN ENDS LOCKDOWN
Today China ended its strict lockdown of Wuhan, the city of 11 million people where COVID-19 was first detected. Jubilation accompanied the announcement as many thousands of residents emerged from their homes and began going about their business for the first time in two-and-a-half months. Transportation in the city resumed and travel restrictions were lifted. However, individuals may only leave Wuhan if they can present a “green code” on a cell phone app. The feature assesses the public health risk of an individual based on travel history, personal health information, and social contact history.
The communist government first imposed quarantine protocols on Wuhan and 15 other cities in Hubei province on January 23, 2020. Some 57 million people were impacted. Officials conducted door-to-door searches for infected individuals, who were then amassed into large quarantine camps. The lockdown featured a 7-day stretch in February during which only one person per household was permitted to exit only once every other day.
China has reported fewer than 82,000 COVID-19 cases and only 3,333 deaths among its population of nearly 1.4 billion people. Compared to the outbreaks in Italy, Spain, France and the USA, these numbers are exceedingly low on a per capita basis. As a result, many have questioned figures presented by the Chinese government. U.S. intelligence officials recently notified the White House of their conclusion that China has intentionally underreported both cases and deaths.
Various news outlets around the world have published photo compilations showing what life in Wuhan was like on the first day of freedom. Some of them are linked below:
The Guardian: “Wuhan ends coronavirus lockdown – in pictures”
Business Insider: “Photos show Wuhan after its unprecedented 76-day lockdown”
AP News: “As Wuhan reopens, people begin to venture outside.”
The Globe and Mail: “Wuhan, where the coronavirus took root, reopens to cheers”