After being closed for two months due to the coronavirus pandemic, part of the Great Wall, located near Beijing, welcomed visitors again on Tuesday, March 24. Same thing at the zoo in the Chinese capital, where families have been able to go, after being subjected to a drastic control at the entrance.

Chinese authorities also lifted restrictions for several months on Wednesday in Hubei province, the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 18,000 people worldwide since December.

To read >> Coronavirus in Africa: faced with the progression of the epidemic, the measures are tightening

No case of local contamination was detected in 24 hours in the country, but 47 cases "imported" from abroad were identified during this period, said the national health authorities. Most of them are Chinese returning home, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In Hubei, reopening of certain airports and stations

Four more deaths were reported in 24 hours, including three in Hubei, a province in central China where the city of Wuhan is located, which was the first affected by the new coronavirus.

Beijing said Tuesday that the closure of more than 50 million people in Hubei in force since January would be removed, giving them the opportunity to move if they are in good health. Some airports and stations have reopened. But the schools are still closed at this stage. However, Wuhan residents will have to wait until April 8 to be able to leave their city.

Read >> Coronavirus: with 3,434 deaths, the balance sheet for Spain now exceeds that for China

There have been more than 81,200 cases of Covid-19 in China and 3,281 people have died, according to Beijing. The number of new cases has dropped significantly in the past month.

Fear of a second wave

A situation which contrasts with the rest of the world where the coronavirus is in full expansion, forcing more and more countries to take measures of containment, curfew, closing of public places, etc.

Over 400,000 cases have been confirmed in 175 countries and territories. This fears a second wave of contamination in China by "imported" cases. Many Chinese cities have therefore implemented strict quarantine rules for new arrivals and all flights to Beijing arriving from abroad are directed to other cities where passengers are tested.

With AFP

The France 24 week summary invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Download the app

google-play-badge_FR