Chinese President Xi Jinping has made his first visit to Wuhan, the place where coronavirus originated, since the outbreak of the coronavirus. Xi’s visit could be seen as a signal from the government that the health crisis is coming under control.
Mr Xi has been largely unseen through out the outbreak. He made his first appearance on Tuesday in the region that had been under lockdown for weeks.
State news agency Xinhua said the president’s visit was to express regards to those affected by the infection and the medical workers who worked hard to fight the virus.
Mr Xi started his visit at Huoshenshan hospital, one of the makeshift medical facilities treating patients in severe and critical conditions.
Footage and pictures published in the local media show Xi greeting the healthcare workers and meeting with health officials, as well as waving to a coronavirus patient through video conferencing.
To date, more than 80,000 people have been infected in mainland China with more than 3,100 people have died.
His visit came at a time when Wuhan is appearing to recover from the deadly virus. The infections are steadily declining in China as well.
Last few days, only a few dozen confirmed cases were reported, compared with thousands during the peak of the epidemic.
In the last couple of days, many provinces in China reported zero cases.
The government is ordering the closing down of makeshift hospitals in Wuhan due to the decline in the number of reported cases.
According to reports, almost 60,000 confirmed cases have been recovered and less than 20,000 of the confirmed cases are still under treatment.
Political show
During the entire outbreak time, President Xi made very few public appearances.
His visit to Wuhan is significant to the citizens there. They have been under quarantine measures. Xi’s visit did little to appease residents who are becoming more resentful of the government’s response.
A Wuhan resident, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions, said ”When all of us were asking where Xi Jinping was in the initial days of the outbreak, he made zero appearance.”
“After the peak of the epidemic had passed and the outbreak is under control, he came and told people ‘remember me, I have indeed come to visit you’. This kind of political show is disgusting.”
Another resident said, “I don’t really care if Xi Jinping is visiting or not.”
But some describe Xi Jinping’s visit as a sign of confidence that the situation is under control.
Chinese president visits Wuhan as a sign of the situation is under control
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