Just before his departure, Wilmots saw the fear increase among the residents. “Everyone started hoarding. More and more people saw you wearing a mouth cap and from today they are mandatory.” He has also closed his bar today because he is worried about his staff.
Similar stories are featured in The South China Morning Post newspaper. A resident from Wuhan tells the newspaper that a cabbage now costs 35 yuan (4.55 euros), he also says that the shopping centers and restaurants are empty, just like the roads, even during peak hours. “Wuhan looks like a ghost town.”
Wilmots has been living in Wuhan for years. He has seen more virus outbreaks, such as SARS and the avian influenza virus. The measures that the government took during the SARS outbreak in 2003 went much further, according to him.
“Then you were not allowed to use the compound off. The government is now taking much quicker action to prevent the virus from spreading. In addition, communication is now much better. “We also use WeChat, the Chinese version of WhatsApp.
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