Footage Shows Chinese 'Ghost City' of Wuhan
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Eerie footage has been released showing the streets of China’s Wuhan abandoned amid the strict shut down as officials confirmed the death toll has now risen to 41.
The Wuhan city where the deadly coronavirus broke out has been reduced to a 'ghost city' as China locked down 56 million people in a desperate attempt to tackle the virus.
More than 1,300 people have been infected globally with a virus traced to a seafood market in Wuhan that was illegally selling live animals, including bats and marmots, the Mirror reported.
The video, shot by an American woman yesterday, shows just a handful of people on the streets in the city of 11 million.
It also shows a seemingly abandoned school and the inside of a small grocery store, which is still operating, before cutting to an empty shopping center.
The filmer is heard saying: "We're definitely not at panic mode yet."
She explains that the small store she's in is stocked as normal "despite the lockdown," adding: "But if the lockdown persists then we might have an issue in, say, two weeks."
Later in the footage a parcel office is pictured closed with a sign explaining that they are closed until next month.
Chinese authorities have imposed travel restrictions stopping citizens from leaving Wuhan and 10 other cities in an effort to control the outbreak.
An estimated 56 million people are on lockdown in China to stop the coronavirus spreading, according to reports.
Public transport has also been closed across 18 cities in the country.
The death toll from China's coronavirus outbreak increased on Saturday to 41 from 26 a day earlier.
The epidemic has halted celebrations for Chinese New Year and Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has announced all official visits to China have been cancelled as part of emergency measures.
Medical supplies are very tight in Wuhan and an official is appealing for more medical supplies, such as masks and protective suits, from both domestic and overseas providers.
The number of confirmed cases in China stands at 1,287, the National Health Commission said on Saturday.
The virus has also been detected in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Nepal, Malaysia, France, the United States and Australia.
