The Wuhan province in China, ground zero for the coronavirus pandemic that has rendered the world hostage, has released all former patients affected by the illness and report no new deaths. Tanzia Haq reports.
On Sunday, 26 April 2020, the National Health Commission in China has reported no new cases generated in Wuhan. Spokesperson Mi Feng thanked the efforts of Wuhan officials and medical workers all over China. On Sunday, China reported only three new cases, two of which came from abroad, and no new deaths.
China is slowly reopening its institutions after months of being in lockdown and contracting more than 82,000 cases since the outbreak was first reported. Schools in Beijing have reopened and other provinces have also announced reopening dates.
However, the pandemic has given a government heavily involved in its citizens’ lives more reason to install strict social rules and protocols. Authorities in Beijing have announced new rules for social behavior, such as covering the mouth and nose when sneezing, not eating in public transport and wearing a mask in public if ill.
These rules reflect how much the country is torn between maintaining its economic status and preventing a second wave of infections. Monitoring public behavior to this extent is feasible only in a country like China, but it still does not promise to halt another outbreak.
Tensions between China and other countries affected by the virus continue to strain diplomatic and economic relations around the world. President Donald Trump has, on more than one occasion, referred to COVID-19 as the ‘Chinese virus’ and Australia’s investigation into the virus’ origins may cause a boycott by Chinese consumers, as said by the Chinese Ambassador to Australia Cheng Jingye.
Retaliation to US demands for investigation has also been vicious from Chinese officials. Former ambassador Hu Zhaoming took to Twitter on Sunday to suggest ‘some people’ should gargle with disinfectant, repeating Trump’s highly criticized comment on disinfectants being ingested to kill the coronavirus.
Mr. President is right. Some people do need to be injected with #disinfectant, or at least gargle with it. That way they won't spread the virus, lies and hatred when talking.
— Hu Zhaoming 中联部发言人胡兆明 (@SpokespersonHZM) April 26, 2020
Experts are already predicting and debating how China will recover economically from this disaster and whether the pandemic will shorten the nation’s current reign on the consumer goods market. As the nation slowly opens its businesses again, countries in the West continue to find ways out of the lockdown and aid their healthcare workers fighting the disease.
