Xi in Wuhan to tout China’s ‘success’ over outbreak
Xi Jinping has visited Wuhan for the first time since the coronavirus emerged there, as Beijing touted its success in fighting the outbreak.
China’s president arrived ‘‘to inspect the prevention and control of the coronavirus epidemic,’’ said state media.
He saw medical staff, military, police and volunteers, and was pictured speaking via video link to workers at an emergency field hospital built for coronavirus patients. His visit was seen as a signal from Beijing that China’s government was claiming triumph in a ‘‘people’s war’’ against the outbreak, which has infected 115,000 people around the world and killed more than 4000.
‘‘The situation of coronavirus prevention in Hubei and Wuhan has shown positive changes and achieved phased results, initially realising goals to stabilise and turn around the situation,’’ he was quoted as saying.
Xi acknowledged that people under a lengthy quarantine – Wuhan and much of Hubei province have been under strict controls since late January – may have frustrations. ‘‘We must understand and tolerate them.’’
The media also reported that all temporary hospitals handling virus patients had closed. While this indicated Beijing believed the worst may be over, epidemiologists said the outbreak was far from ending, given the risk of infections coming into China from abroad. More than 70 per cent of the world’s infections are in China, where the number of new cases has begun to subside. –