Wuhan locals party in packed clubs after reporting no covid cases

Photographs have emerged showing Wuhan locals partying in packed nightclubs as large parts of the world are under strict Covid lockdowns. Coronavirus emerged a year ago in the central Chinese city of Wuhan and has since spread globally, infecting more than 82 million people and killing more than 1.7 million.

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But remarkably the city, which has a population of 11million, hasn’t reported a new locally transmitted case of the disease since May 10, after undergoing one of the strictest lockdowns worldwide. In scenes which have become unimaginable in the UK and other countries around the world, residents of Wuhan hit the clubs.

And others converged on landmarks in the city for New Year's celebrations. Photos showed youngsters crammed together, some wearing masks but others not. In Wuhan, thousands were expected to gather at several popular landmarks across the city centre for the countdown to 2021. Some said they were being cautious, but weren't particularly worried.

"Safety is the priority," Wuhan teacher Wang Xuemei, 23, told Reuters. "It's fine because these measures aren't enforced very strictly," added her friend and colleague Wang Anyu. "You can still go out."

Nightlife in Wuhan is back in full swing almost seven months after the city lifted its stringent lockdown and the city’s young partygoers are embracing the catharsis. The revival of the city’s hard-hit nightlife economy offers a glimpse into a post-pandemic lifestyle that many hope will become a reality in 2021, after the global rollout of Covid-19 vaccines.

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Wuhan was shut off from the rest of China in a surprise overnight lockdown beginning Jan 23, with roadblocks erected and planes, trains and buses barred from entering the city. Almost 3,900 of China’s 4,634 recorded Covid-19 deaths occurred in the industrial city.