Pride and caution found in Wuhan on COVID-19 lockdown anniversary
23 January, 2021
Exactly one year immediately after it thrust the term "lockdown" into the global conversation, Wuhan passes the anniversary on Saturday (Jan 23) with a variety of pride at recovering from the coronavirus and caution above a possible relapse.
This past year on Saturday, Wuhan shocked the world by ordering 11 million anxious citizens be confined at home, beginning a traumatic 76-evening lockdown that underscored the growing threat of a then-mysterious pathogen emanating from the city.
One at a time, adjacent metropolises found in hard-reach Hubei province quickly followed suit, as did places and whole countries worldwide as COVID-19 went global.
But as the world's pandemic struggles continue, Wuhan today is nothing beats that locked-down ghost village of this past year, with traffic humming, sidewalks bustling, and citizens packing public transfer and parks.
Yet anxiety lurks below the top as localised clusters multiply across China, reviving remembrances of the city's ordeal.
They remain vivid for Huang Genben, 76, who spent 67 times in hospital fighting COVID-19 last year, spitting up blood and looking to die.
"When I closed my eyes during the night I didn't know if I would open them again," Huang told AFP.
Like many Chinese, he expresses pride at the "great work" made by the Beijing government and citizens to support the pandemic, exemplified by hard-hit Wuhan.
The virus has killed at least two million persons globally and continues to spread, however in China significantly less than 5,000 deaths have already been reported by authorities, the vast majority coming in Wuhan at the pandemic's outset.
And the city's calm scenes - elderly dancers spinning in parks and crowded bars selling "Wuhan Stay Strong" craft beer - contrast with the rolling lockdowns, surging death costs and overwhelmed hospitals overseas.
"I FEEL PAIN"
"We can tell from the benefits that the policy of the federal government was accurate, the cooperation of (Wuhan) citizens was correct. I feel discomfort seeing the epidemic across the world," Huang said.
The federal government has pushed the official propaganda narrative - starring Wuhan - concentrating on a "heroic" Chinese response and recovery.
There are no known lockdown commemorations planned on Saturday by Beijing, which remains tight-lipped on the pandemic's early days. (Photo: AFP/Hector RETAMAL)
But there are zero known lockdown commemorations planned on Saturday by Beijing, which remains tight-lipped on the pandemic's early days amid accusations it covered it up or mishandled the outbreak, and can spread.
The virus is normally thought to have spread outward from a Wuhan wet market where exotic animals were sold as food.
But China has in any other case released little information on its origins, fuelling phone calls in the West for even more transparency.
The lockdown anniversary includes World Health Organization experts just times from completing a two-week quarantine in Wuhan before launching a well planned investigation in to the coronavirus's origins.
The WHO said on Friday it had been too early to attract any conclusions concerning whether the pandemic started in China.
"All hypotheses are up for grabs," stated WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan.
While different nations, notably america, have dithered on the coronavirus response, Wuhan turn off completely, plunging its economy into recession.
State media reviews - and activity in the streets - verify an impressive recovery, however, many say it continues to be incomplete and many residents tone of voice wariness of a good viral resurgence.
Xu Jiajun, a 58-year-old road vendor of local foods, drinks, and various other items, said times remain tough.
"The situation is not good. I don't possess a well balanced income like I did before. Issues have changed," he explained.
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