Passengers scrutinized and welcome in full combination: the Chinese city of Wuhan, the cradle of the new coronavirus, gradually reopened to the outside world on Saturday March 28 after more than two months of almost total isolation. Very symbolically, the first authorized passenger train since containment stopped on Saturday at Wuhan station.
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"With my daughter, we were all excited when the train approached" Wuhan, a 36-year-old woman told AFP. HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP
On board, several dozen residents trapped since the end of January outside the city when the authorities decreed a quarantine in an attempt to stem the epidemic. The city has been cordoned off for 10 weeks.
"It has been more than two months since I returned to Wuhan, I have the impression of returning from abroad," commented Gao Xuesong, an employee in the automotive sector. HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP
Until then, no one could enter the city, except for medical personnel and those responsible for transporting essential goods. But since Wednesday, the authorities have gradually lifted the restrictions. New arrivals are combed through: taking a temperature, identity check and questions about their previous trips.
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However, the reopening is only partial. Residents will have to wait until April 8 before leaving Wuhan, when the city's airports will also reopen.
A local official said on Friday that Wuhan is now considered a "low risk" area. HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP
The first cases of coronavirus appeared in December in Wuhan. And the city is paying a heavy price for this epidemic, with more than 50,000 people infected and more deaths than any other city in China (2538).
On Saturday, three more deaths were announced by health officials. A local official said on Friday that Wuhan is now considered a "low risk" area.
Saturday morning, long lines of travelers were waiting to board for Wuhan, AFP found at Shanghai train station some 830 kilometers away.
At Shanghai train station HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP
If the Wuhan metro reopened on Saturday and the main bus lines are back in service, some shopping centers remain closed. And the locals, always protected by masks, avoid crowded places.
In the Wuhan metro on Saturday March 28. ALY SONG / REUTERS
