Wuhan, birthplace of the coronavirus, celebrated the New Year with a crowd in the streets and without taking a distance

The streets of Wuhan, the city of China where the coronavirus pandemic originated that killed thousands of people around the world, was the site of a massive New Years celebration without respecting social distancing.

Following the tradition, Thousands of people gathered in front of the old customs building in Hankow, one of the most popular places in the city for New Years Eve. When the old building clock struck at midnight, many people threw balloons in the air, clapped, and shouted “Happy New Year”.

“I am incredibly happy,” said Yang Wenxuan, a 20-year-old student and tourist. “This is my first time in Wuhan. But the countdown has been so spectacular.”

“I hope I can pass my bachelor’s degree and hope I can find a boyfriend,” Yang added. There was a strong police presence and strict crowd control. Some security personnel were seen telling several of the few people without a mask that they had to wear one if they wanted to stay. Yet the countdown seemed to continue peacefully, in a relaxed atmosphere.

The festivities took place 12 months after the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it first received news of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan, which later became known as the world’s first epidemic. of Covid-19. A team of WHO experts is expected to arrive in China in January 2021 to investigate the origins of the pandemic.

Wuhan was largely virus-free for months, and in recent days, some specific groups of the local population have been vaccinated. But a recent slight increase in cases in several Chinese cities, including Beijing, has reminded residents of Wuhan that the pandemic is not yet over.

“I hope that in 2021 everything will be fine in the country and Wuhan can return to normal and I hope the world can overcome the pandemic soon.”Wuhan resident Anson Yang said. The 25-year-old, who works in the international trade industry, said his profits were hit hard in 2020 and that he knew of many companies in Wuhan that have not yet returned to normal levels of activity .

Several students longed for the pandemic to end so that they could continue their studies in person. However, a student learned positive lessons from the fight against the pandemic.

“If we look at the actions that people have taken, the things that people have done as part of controlling the outbreak and things like that, a human touch or a friendly touch, something that we wouldn’t normally see, that was felt by everyone. “said the 21-year-old. Chen Mengfan.

EFE and Reuters Agency