WU JOKING?

Wuhan mocks UK’s Covid hell, vows to hold more wild parties and tells Brits ‘get used to it’

Sara Hussain

Published: 17:37, 4 Jan 2021
Updated: 21:50, 4 Jan 2021

CITIZENS of Wuhan have mocked UK's Covid hell - telling Brits to "get used to it" as they vowed to hold more wild parties.

Large crowds gathered to ring in the New Year in Wuhan - with plans for more huge events - despite the city being the original epicentre of the deadly virus.

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People were allowed back into nightclubs in August in Wuhan, more than eight months after the initial outbreak Credit: Getty Images - Getty

And while a shocking study revealed up to half a million people had been infected in Wuhan, locals took to the streets - launching balloons to celebrate the start of 2021.

In stark contrast, venues such as the London Eye and New York’s Times Square were empty at midnight as no live audiences were allowed due to coronavirus restrictions.

Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson recently took to Twitter to ask: "How has Wuhan achieved this without a vaccine?" while posting the news about Wuhan residents' celebrations of the New Year.

But her question was met with criticism from Wuhan locals.

Yang Zhanqiu, deputy director of the pathogen biology department at Wuhan University, told : "Wuhan was declared free of COVID-19 as the last domestic patient left hospital in April. Although winter has set in, Wuhan is still safe.’’

Yang added: "As a journalist, Pearson should better relate China's experience in controlling the epidemic to her countrymen and government to help the UK control the spread of the virus, instead of being jealous and hostile about Wuhan's celebration.’’

And published a story about Wuhan, detailing the parties held in the city, titled "More gatherings, celebrations will be held in Wuhan; West should get used to it".

The article read: "More big gatherings like the New Year celebrations, sports events and live concerts will be staged in Wuhan, which was the hardest-hit city in China by COVID-19, during 2021, and the world had better get used to it, Wuhan residents said, calling on some Westerners to save their fellow countrymen following Chinese experiences rather than attacking Wuhan’s gatherings with prejudice and hostility.

"When large crowds of Wuhan residents took to streets and launched balloons to celebrate the arrival of 2021 on New Year’s Eve, in sharp contrast with what Western media called a ghost town like Times Square with roads closed but no live audience, some Westerners with jealous eyes were sarcastic about Wuhan."

Much of the UK is currently in lockdown as cases of the deadly bug continue to rise.

LIFE BACK TO NORMAL

The UK government has shut down essential shops with the majority of Brits told to stay at home as much as possible in a desperate attempt to stop the spread.

And others claimed Wuhan had managed to control the spread of coronavirus thanks to test and trace.

In January, the city was sealed off from the rest of China in one of the world's first, and strictest, lockdowns for 76 days, where people were discouraged from leaving their homes except for when buying groceries and face masks were mandatory.

But just this month, startling news images showed Wuhan bursting with life after apparently wiping out the disease, while many western countries are still enforcing strict lockdowns as the virus sweeps through their elderly and vulnerable

The pictures showed masked people crammed together at a job fair in Wuhan - not having to adhere to social distancing rules.

A massive swimming pool party attended by thousands of people in Wuhan in August 2020 shocked the internet after it who could not believe that Wuhan could recover so soon after being ravaged by the virus for months.

Other images showed shoppers at a food market - buying fresh produce including fish, eggs and vegetables.