Eerie pictures and videos from the ghost town of Wuhan
The number of cases of the new coronavirus in China is now higher than it was in the Sars epidemic. According to new figures released by the Chinese government on Wednesday, the number of people infected with the coronavirus rose to just under 6,000. That was more than 1,400 confirmed new cases since Tuesday. According to the official balance sheet, 5327 people were affected by mainland China in 2002 and 2003 in the mainland China.
A fish market in Wuhan is considered the origin of the epidemic. Since then, nothing has been as it was in the Chinese metropolis.
The drone video
The AFP news agency published these images from the metropolis of Wuhan. A drone scanned the almost deserted streets. The first impression: Wuhan is like a ghost town! No car drives, hardly any people can be seen – despite all the skyscrapers that can be seen there.
The singing people
Another video shows how hundreds of people appear to be shouting and singing from the high-rise buildings. People have been “trapped” in their homes for days. By singing and shouting, they encourage each other and provide a little closeness.
These images are the result of drastic measures that China has had to take in the past few days: In the province of Hubei, 45 million people in more than a dozen cities have been largely isolated from the outside world. Flights as well as long-distance and local traffic were stopped. Other regions have also eliminated intercity buses and some train connections. The government also extended the holidays beyond the current New Year.
Empty streets
The metropolis of Wuhan has become a ghost town. People hardly venture out of the houses. Not without a mask anyway.
Apocalyptic mood
British journalist and China correspondent Stephen McDonell already ventured to Wuhan on Sunday. The dim light, the gray overcast sky, the masked people in their protective suits – all give the impression of an upcoming apocalypse.
The great escape
The European Union wants to get hundreds of EU citizens out of China. According to the EU Commission, the first plane is due to start in France on Wednesday morning and fly around 250 Frenchmen home. The second plane is slated to follow later this week, bringing more than 100 Europeans home from other EU countries.
Japan and the United States flew citizens of their countries out of the metropolis of Wuhan in Hubei province on Wednesday. The virus was first detected in humans in the city. A plane from Wuhan with around 200 Japanese on board landed at Tokyo airport in the morning, according to reporters from the AFP news agency.
Specialists in protective suits are waiting for around 200 passengers from Wuhan at Tokyo Airport. Picture: EPA
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The Japanese Ministry of Health had previously announced that health personnel traveling on the plane would carry out medical checks on the passengers. However, there are no plans to quarantine travelers upon arrival.
A plane with US citizens on board took off from Wuhan on Wednesday, according to the State Department in Washington. According to the Alaska State Department of Transportation, where the machine was scheduled to stop for fuel, 240 people were on board. Australia also wants to fly its citizens out of the Chinese region of Wuhan
Fear is also widespread in Hong Kong. People queue up there to buy protective masks and disinfectant gel.
(Meg / SDA)
