Wuhan, the city that became the epicenter of the coronavirus infection, was the first one to lock down its people and to stop all operations. On April 8th, it finally became possible to end the quarantine that lasted long 76 days. From now on people in Wuhan can travel again and visit or leave the city without any special permit.
After the announcement, many people hurried to return to their homes, causing long lines in all the transport hubs of the city. Thousands of people filled airports, bus and train stations. The first flight in the reopened Tianhe International Airport left for Sanya. This coastal city in the province of Hainan is a popular tourist destination, so hotels in Sanya are always full of domestic and foreign guests.
Companies in Wuhan are also resuming their activity. The Wuhan International Plaza, which sells luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, is open again. Tesla has reopened its electric car showroom in Wuhan. Hotels in Wuhan are available for booking. In short, life slowly returns to normal in this Chinese city.
With almost no new coronavirus cases in China, the government now puts efforts into revitalizing the economy. The recent lockdown was a heavy burden for China’s economy. Sales in the automotive sector fell by jaw-dropping 79% in January-February 2020, reaching the highest drop in the industry in China on record. In total, the country’s economy is 21% down, and so now China tries to help its companies by making loans cheaper. As China is widely recognized as the biggest producer of goods in the world, the speed of its recovery much depends on demand. However, as most of the world is still struggling with the pandemic, people buy fewer Chinese goods, so the country’s export might be down for the rest of the year.
Even though the pandemic stopped in China, there is a threat of a new wave of the coronavirus when Chinese people abroad return home. Because of this, the country canceled many international flights. Given that many carriers of the virus have no symptoms but can be contagious, it may be difficult to prevent the disease. To prevent a new virus outbreak, China might impose the necessary 14-day self-isolation for all newcomers, even those who have no symptoms of the disease. As this country is the first to stop the pandemic, China’s experience is valuable for other countries that will soon enter this stage.