Wuhan residents cautiously hopeful for new year as China reopens to world

Record ID: 1704719

  • Title: Wuhan residents cautiously hopeful for new year as China reopens to world
  • Date: 31st December 2022
  • Summary: WUHAN, HUBEI PROVINCE, CHINA (DECEMBER 31, 2022) (REUTERS) TRAFFIC PASSING BY WUHAN HUANAN SEAFOOD MARKET BLUE BARRIERS FENCING MARKET VARIOUS OF EMPTY STALLS INSIDE MARKET BLUE BARRIERS FENCING MARKET, TRAFFIC PASSING BY PLAINCLOTHES POLICE OFFICERS STANDING ON BALCONY AT MARKET RESTAURANT OWNER SERVING BOWL OF FOOD (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 60-YEAR-OLD RESTAURANT OWNER, MR JIN, SAYING: “It's been a bad three years for business anyway.” HAND SERVING BOWL OF FOOD (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 60-YEAR-OLD RESTAURANT OWNER, MR JIN, SAYING: “There is nothing to worry about in the future. The pandemic is not something that anyone can control. The country has introduced some good policies and it's being controlled quite well. But as for the new year, it’s hard to predict.” PEOPLE SORTING ITEMS AND VEGETABLES ON PAVEMENT OUTSIDE SHOP (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 48-YEAR-OLD RESTAURANT OWNER, MR LI, SAYING: “How should I say this. In the past few years, even in the year when the pandemic was at its worst, life was not so difficult. This has been the worst possible year, let me just say that to you.” EXTERIOR OF WUHAN CENTRAL HOSPITAL WHERE FORMER COVID WHISTLEBLOWER DOCTOR LI WENLIANG WORKED SIGN OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AT HOSPITAL PEOPLE WALKING PAST BARRIERS OUTSIDE FEVER OUTPATIENT UNIT MEDICAL STAFF IN PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT (PPE) REGISTERING PATIENT AT FEVER OUTPATIENT UNIT VARIOUS OF HANKOU FUNERAL PARLOUR VAN MEDICAL STAFF IN PPE STANDING ON THE STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 45-YEAR-OLD WUHAN RESIDENT, CHEN MEI, SAYING: “Let's take, for example, studies. She can't go to school. She can only attend online classes, which may not be as effective. Kids are not as self-disciplined, and adults have to work. And, because of the pandemic, sometimes, for people like us who are self-employed or who work for private companies, you understand, sometimes you have to be locked up at home, and sometimes the business can't be opened. This all definitely has an impact.” TRAFFIC MOVING
  • Embargoed: 14th January 2023 05:57
  • Keywords: 2023 COVID-19 China Covid Hubei WUHAN HUANAN SEAFOOD MARKET Wuhan Wuhan market coronavirus new year
  • Location: WUHAN, HUBEI PROVINCE, CHINA
  • City: WUHAN, HUBEI PROVINCE, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA001965631122022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Residents and business owners in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on Saturday (December 31) said they were cautiously hopeful for the new year, as China reopens to the world after scrapping three years of zero-COVID curbs.
    “This has been the worst possible year, let me just say that to you,” said Mr Li, 48, who owns a small diner within walking distance of the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where many epidemiologists say the initial outbreak first began.
    The seafood market remained boarded up and was surveilled by dozens of cameras as well as several plainclothes security officers.
    At the nearby central hospital of Wuhan, where Li Wenliang, a whistleblower doctor had worked and later died of the virus in early 2020, patient numbers have been down compared to the initial surge in the past few weeks, one of the hospital’s fever clinic staff told Reuters on Saturday.
    Wuhan resident and parent, 45-year-old Chen Mei, said she hopes her daughter will be able to resume in-person classes soon.
    “She can't go to school. She can only attend online classes, which may not be as effective,” she said. “Kids are not as self-disciplined, and adults have to work... sometimes you have to be locked up at home, and sometimes the business can't be opened. This all definitely has an impact.”
    (Production: Martin Quin Pollard, Xiaoyu Yin, Tingshu Wang)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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