Despair and pride in China's Wuhan as coronavirus lockdown eases

[snoop1130]

Despair and pride in China's Wuhan as coronavirus lockdown eases

By Brenda Goh

 

Volunteers in protective suits work on disinfecting a shopping complex in Wuhan, Hubei province, the epicentre of China's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, March 31, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song

 

WUHAN, China (Reuters) - Residents of China’s Wuhan city, ground zero for the coronavirus pandemic, have mixed emotions as containment measures are lifted and the community infection rate slows to a trickle, with some praising the government and others rueing the economic costs.

 

The strictest curbs on movement and business were in the Hubei provincial capital of Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have emerged from a seafood market last year. The city of 11 million people accounts for about 60% of China’s total infections, which stood at 81,518 as of Tuesday.

 

That market is now boarded up, and an adjacent wholesale fruit centre is also closed with more than 100,000 yuan (11,411.78 pounds) worth of mangoes, melons and other fruit rotting outside.

 

A fruit trader surnamed Fang said the lockdown of the city had ruined her livelihood.

 

“Of course I’m scared,” she told Reuters, gesturing to the two masks she wore, one on top of the other, as she packed apples which she sells to residential compounds at wholesale prices.

“But I’ve not made any money for the last three months.”

 

Wuhan residents’ attitudes towards the curbs are far from aligned, with some expressing immense pride in their government while others say the help they have received has not offset the costs from the lockdown.

 

Some firms have resumed work and the city will start allowing people to leave on April 8.

 

China has unveiled numerous measures to ease the devastating economic impact of the outbreak, and has pledged to help Wuhan get back on its feet.

 

Fang teared up as she described how she had planned to see her children who are back in her hometown after the Lunar New Year in January. She will be unable to return after the lockdown ends because she has to stay and sell her fruit.

 

“At the earliest the stock might only clear by June,” she said, declining to give her full name due to the sensitivity of the situation.

 

CHEAP RIBS

 

Hu Yanfang, who was supervising the unpacking of boxes of protective equipment and food at her housing estate in Wuhan, had a different take.

 

The lockdown on residential compounds like hers was recently eased and she feels optimistic that the government has the crisis in hand.

 

“It’s much better now,” said Hu, who heads the compound’s residents committee.

 

Her voice cracked with emotion as she recounted how she had worked through the past two months to support her neighbours and sanitise the compound. She thanked the government for sending ample supplies of protective gear like masks.

 

“It makes me feel like our country is strong - just look at countries like Europe,” she said, referring to the surging infection and death numbers in countries like Italy and Spain.

 

“The government helped us to get these,” she said, as slabs of pork ribs arrived in the boot of a taxi. They were to be sold to residents at less than half the usual price.

 

Another resident, Yu Tianhong, agreed with Hu as she queued for ribs.

 

“This shows how the government is giving support and love to those of who stayed at home. It’s not just about the meat and the money. This makes us feel like someone is concerned about us,” she said.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-31

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[Ian Nagle]

They should have burnt Wuhan market down. Boarded up is an insult to the rest of the world.

[DrTuner]

Unh. That just reeks of CCP. Reuters .. why.

[bristolboy]

6 hours ago, Ian Nagle said:

They should have burnt Wuhan market down. Boarded up is an insult to the rest of the world.

Great idea. Burning a market down in the middle of a crowded city. And while they were at it, they should have performed an exorcism, also. That would be no less useful than burning the place down.

[phantomfiddler]

I read that business is now booming in China, selling CV-19 related goods to the rest of the world. Does anyone else get a feeling that something is slightly wrong here ?

[Stargeezr]

So the Wuhan Corona virus city is going back to work, good for them, maybe.

  I still remember Guangzhou, or SARS city, when they were in the SARS outbreak.

I was there with some of my Thai family, we were ushered out from the

airport and driven 2 hours to another city to get away from the epicentre.

 We seen some sights, but never close to SARS city until 5 days later, even then

we came from 4 hours away direct to the airport, and right to our boarding

gate as a group. No buying anything in Guangzhou, or stopping. I felt very lucky

then, and now that I am over self isolating for 2 weeks, I feel lucky again.

  It does seem the China did not learn from SARS, so I hope they have

learned something from Covid 19, or

Wuhan Corona virus..

Geezer

[SoSoCNX]

China, Wuhan gave world corona and now World is paying for BIG bucks for basic Covid-19 products. NOW Chinese make billions selling corona product at prices never seen before. Just google it. China's Master plan is working to be masters of the world

[sukhumvitneon]

China expelled most western journalists.  They constantly lie about everything.  If you believe any news coming out of China at this point, then I've got beachfront property in Nebraska to sell you.

Edited April 1, 2020 by sukhumvitneon

[watthong]

The moment I see "pride" and "China" in the same sentence I want to throw up.

[Iron Tongue]

Fortunately, the "Made in China" brand is taking huge hits due to their selling of shoddy protective equipment from n95 masks that don't filter to covid-19 test kits that are only 30% effective.

Whatever they may be bribing other governments to not point fingers, the people in the street have discovered that China, and their products cannot be trusted.

[johng]

1 minute ago, Iron Tongue said:

Whatever they may be bribing other governments to not point fingers, the people in the street have discovered that China, and their products cannot be trusted

They make just about everything at the moment, their products are almost impossible to avoid ! my (small) hope is that "people" will now realise that making things (all sorts of things) instead of pushing bits of paper around,fractional banking and Ponzi schemes (well now not even bits of paper but electrons) not only makes a country more self reliant but gives the "people" a job to do,money to feed themself and maybe some pride in a job well done....+ there are too many people on the planet  some way to maintain a steady number must be found.