Wuhan Back To Normal Year On From First Covid-19 Lockdown

A year on from the first Covid-19 lockdown, and Wuhan is essentially back to normal. See for yourself here:

The city first went into lockdown on 23 January 2020 after the first cases of the virus were detected in late 2019.

The strict lockdown ended after 76 days, but Covid-19 has since spread across the world, claiming more than two million lives globally.

In Wuhan though, life is pretty much the same as it was before this international crisis first unfolded.

The wet market that was once the epicentre of the disease remains behind barriers and face masks are common place, but other than that it's as you were, with streets and restaurants bustling once again.

PA

Indeed, many residents are now grateful to live in Wuhan, with other countries across the globe still very much in the clutches of coronavirus.

Retired resident Ms Wan told Associated Press: "At that time, it was very nervous. Now it's good. The government and the nation has paid great attention to Wuhan city. We received a lot of support and we feel we are blessed.

"Other countries are nowhere near as safe as China. I am very, very happy being born Chinese. Looking at the countries such as the US and UK, we feel so insecure. If I go to those places, I will be scared to death."

Yen, a 29-year-old English teacher, said he did not fear any further waves of Covid-19 in the city.

Speaking to DW, he said: "Following the initial outbreak in January, I don't think we will witness another large-scale infection in Wuhan.

PA

"Even if the number of confirmed cases went up again, we know how to properly prevent ourselves from being infected.

"If you look around, almost everyone on the street follows the government's protocol diligently. If you forget to put on a mask in public, someone will remind you."

By contrast, there is no sign of when the third national lockdown might end in England.

Speaking to Sky News earlier today (Friday 22 January), environment secretary George Eustice said: "We have been straight with people and said this will go on for as long as it needs to, we do have this more virulent strain.

"We don't want to be in lockdown a moment longer than necessary... obviously it's incredibly disruptive for people's lives, incredibly disruptive to the economy, but we're not going to come out until it's safe to do so.

"We've been very clear, we keep this under review... it's reviewed every couple of weeks, given that it's quite a dynamic, fast-moving situation."

Topics: World News, Coronavirus, China, Covid-19

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey