Its 12 million inhabitants spent two and a half months under strict confinement.
Deserted streets in the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three years ago, this was the city of Wuhan, in central China.
The authorities closed it tightly to prevent the spread of the virus. team has returned to the place where it all began—a city that returns to normality. During this time, it has suffered more confinements, but with the lifting of the strict “COVID zero” policy, the streets have once again filled with residents and tourists.
The city that is now teeming with life was deserted just three years ago. Its 12 million inhabitants spent two and a half months under strict confinement.
“Since the outbreak of the pandemic in Wuhan in 2020, many citizens have sacrificed themselves; but, finally, we have won,” a Wuhanese neighbour told
On January 23, 2020, the world witnessed, for the first time, a city lockdown. The yellow billboards that are still in the streets remind him of it. Next door, tourists and locals queue up to try typical Wuhan food.
“With the end of the restrictions, the first days were difficult, but since the end of December or the beginning of January, we have returned to normality,” explains Pan, the owner of one of the businesses in the area.
Back to the market where it all began
With two secret police vehicles hot on their trail, a news crew returns to the market where it all began. It is only possible to see it through a slit. It has been closed for three years.
In it, fish, shellfish, and fresh products were sold, but also wild animals. This is how the current pandemic is believed to have originated, when this coronavirus passed from those wild animals to humans.
The entire city has not been closed again, but in July, a million people were detained for four cases; in October, 800,000 were detained. In November, several citizen protests called for an end to the lockdowns. In Wuhan, they tore down fences. Two weeks later, the restrictions were lifted.