China celebrates re-opening of coronavirus' epicenter Wuhan, while world suffers
What's the story
An industrial hub of China, Wuhan, where coronavirus originated from in December 2019, re-opened after 76 days on Wednesday, an event that was marked by light shows. People rushed outdoors, some boarded trains, and others said they felt liberated. However, just as China reveled in tone-deaf celebrations, coronavirus, which originated there, continued to ravage countries. People continued to die, and healthcare systems collapsed.
What happened
Coronavirus has left cities deserted, but China celebrated "normalcy"
The Chinese government ensured to welcome the "normalcy" with much pomp and show, even though the deadly COVID-19 disease has transformed chirpy places around the world into ghost towns. On both sides of the Yangtze river, skyscrapers and bridges showed images of heath workers helping patients, with one message referring to Wuhan as "heroic city", a title accorded by the Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Reaction
Residents welcomed lockdown's end with emotions and hope
Before the restrictions were lifted at midnight, users looked back at the time spent indoors. One Weibo user said he lost 10 kgs, read two books, and slept eight hours daily, and another one wrote, "After so much struggle, our Wuhan will return". The maximum number of China's 82,000 cases was reported from Wuhan and over 3,300 lost their lives in the city.
Numbers
Italy, Spain, and US have suffered more than China
A Wuhan resident, who recovered from coronavirus, claimed the "city's pain was bigger" than others. "Wuhan people experienced it firsthand. Their friends got sick. Their friends and friends' relatives died. Right before their eyes, one by one, they left us," the person said. While the pain is immeasurable, countries like Italy, Spain, and United States have lost more people to the pandemic than China.
Movement
Free from restrictions, people boarded trains and flights
As soon as the clock struck midnight, a string of cars, that had been rendered useless in the last few weeks, was seen in re-opened bridges, tunnels and toll stations. The Railway authorities anticipated over 55,000 passengers would leave the city. Moreover, more than 30 flights began operating from Wuhan to places like Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. Long-distance buses also started their services.
Precautions
Normalcy is still far from Wuhan
However, the authorities aren't letting their guards down, just yet. People from Wuhan will still have to undergo screening tests. Some residential complexes, relaxed restrictions, but tightened them later without revealing much to inhabitants. Colleges, primary and secondary schools remained shut, and residents were urged to not attend large gatherings. Surprisingly, after planning the "grand opening", Communist Party's mouthpiece People's Daily discouraged celebrations.
Quote
We must not relax, suggested People's Daily
"This day that people have long been looking forward to and it is right to be excited. At this moment, we still need to remind ourselves that as Wuhan is unblocked, we can be pleased, but we must not relax," the paper read.
Lockdown
Wuhan got freedom, another province followed its steps
Just as Wuhan, a city housing 11 million residents that had been locked up in January, got its freedom back, restrictions were imposed in the northern province of Suifenhe City in Heilongjiang. The area shares borders with Russia and a steep rise of 25 cases, prompted this decision. Residents were ordered to stay at homes and only one person/family was allowed for essential shopping.
Numbers
There are high chances China fudged Wuhan's data
By lifting curbs from Wuhan, China intends to show that the lockdown, termed draconian at the time of implementation, worked, but even the locals aren't sure about the death toll. "The situation is not as good as what is being reported," a 41-year-old resident told The Guardian. Considering how contagious the disease is, it's hard to digest that less than 4,000 died in the epicenter.
Opinion
China shouldn't be celebrating when world is suffering
China is being slammed, and rightly so, for hiding crucial information about the coronavirus' behavior. The Asian country confirmed human-to-human transmission only in late January when infected patients had already crossed borders. While China's economy continues to roar, courtesy exports and re-opening of cities, the world has slipped into recession. And ravaged countries are still scrambling to control the devastation.