Fun To Hold A Music Festival, Wuhan Chinese Residents Seem To Forget There Is COVID-19

Illustration (hanny naibaho / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Thousands of residents of Wuhan, China have gathered in a water park to celebrate an electronic music festival. They seem to forget that there is now a COVID-19 pandemic and their city has become the zero point of the spread of the virus.

According to CNN's monitoring, Wuhan Maya Beach, which is the location of the festival, was filled with visitors over the weekend. Wearing their swimsuits, they are enjoying being side by side, swaying to the music while cooling off in the hip-high pool of adults. They do this without masks and of course there is no social distancing.

Such a party atmosphere is certainly inconceivable in the many parts of the world that are still grappling with the deadly virus. More than 21 million people have been infected worldwide, with tens of thousands of new cases reported every day in the United States (US), Brazil and India.

But in Wuhan, which was once the center of the spread of the new corona virus, it has now returned to normal. The city recovered after the 76-day rule was lifted. Since May, Wuhan has not reported any new cases.

Meanwhile the Wuhan Maya Beach Waterpark reopened at the end of June, but more than a month of seasonal rains have discouraged people from coming. The number of visitors in early August was only half of the level in the same period last year, according to Hubei Daily.

But now things have changed. The water park currently receives an average of 15,000 visitors each day over the weekend. Half price discount promotion also invited many visitors.

The Beginnings of COVID-19

The new coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan in December 2019. As the initial epicenter of the outbreak, Wuhan accounts for nearly 60 percent of the more than 84,000 total confirmed cases across China, according to data from the National Health Commission and the Hubei Provincial Health Commission.

On January 23, Wuhan carried out a key key to contain the rapidly spreading virus. All flight, rail and bus operations were canceled while highway entrances were blocked.

Public transportation in the city was closed, and residents were prohibited from leaving their homes, even to shop for groceries. Meanwhile, other cities in Hubei Province immediately followed suit.

Kuncitara has heralded in China helping the country turn the corner in its fight against the outbreak. To show confidence, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Wuhan on March 10, three months after the outbreak was first detected in the city.

But the virus resurfaced in mid-May, when six new cases were found in existing housing in Wuhan. City authorities launched COVID-19 tests across the city, with 6.5 million tests carried out in just nine days, according to state media. Since then there has been no recorded case of COVID-19 until now.