Wuhan, the Chinese city where the novel Coronavirus was first detected, began emerging timidly on Saturday from its months-long isolation, with a passenger train stopping there just after midnight.
The authorities had sealed off the city of 11 million people from the rest of the world in January to stem the spread of Covid-19. People are still banned from leaving Wuhan, but it is now possible to go there.
Passengers dragging pull-along suitcases could be seen in the station on Saturday. Many were happy to see the town once again. A 36-year-old woman said she and her daughter had been separated from her husband for 10 weeks. “When the train drew close to Wuhan we were overexcited,” she said.
There were long lines at stations in other parts of China, as passengers queued up to take the train to Wuhan. In Shanghai, passengers’ temperatures were checked.
Tens of thousands of persons were infected by the novel Coronavirus in Wuhan, the Chinese city worst hit by the virus. The city is not yet free of Covid-19. Over 2,500 persons are still hospitalised there.
The Brussels Times
