The outbreak and spread of the Coronavirus had us all concerned, and the city of Wuhan is where it all began. Its citizens have been living in a government lockdown since 23 January, and the city streets look almost deserted. News agency AFP recently shared a drone video of Wuhan showing what it looks like when an 11-million people city turns into a ghost town.
The footage was filmed by AFP video journalist Leo Ramírez. It’s pretty eerie to see virtually no people and moving cars in the city that’s normally crowded:
The first case of the Coronavirus was registered in mid-December 2019, and the first case of death was confirmed on 10 January 2020. On 23 January, authorities issued a notice all public transport, including buses, railways, flights, and ferry services would be suspended. As a result, the airport, the railway station and the metro in Wuhan were all closed. In addition, the residents of Wuhan were not allowed to leave the city without permission from the authorities. According to the BBC, health authorities reportedly made wearing a mask mandatory in the city and advised people to avoid crowds and public gatherings. Euro News correspondent Charles Germain filmed the situation in Wuhan from the ground. In his video, he confirms that the city indeed looks like a ghost town since the lockdown. “I’ve been coming here for almost 10 years and there is little to no-one in the streets compared to usual,” he says.
It appears that situation is similar in Shanghai, a city with a population of 24 million. Far east-Asia correspondent Zigor Aldama filmed a video during a rush hour at Shanghai metro. “For the first time I could choose where to sit,” he writes.
[via Euro News, AFP]
