Covid-19: minute of silence at the Chinese People's Consultative Conference
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The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference began on Thursday May 21 in Beijing, a prelude to the opening of the National People's Assembly tomorrow. A plenary session postponed due to the coronavirus epidemic. A minute of silence was observed by the delegates for those who lost their lives in the fight against an epidemic that has become a pandemic.
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Read moreFrom our correspondent in Beijing , Stéphane Lagarde
Tribute to the sacrifices of Hubei, Wuhan and all of China who lost their lives in the battle against the coronavirus. The image alone sums up the trauma from which the country is emerging. With the exception of the politburo, the 2,057 delegates are masked, heads bowed for this minute of silence.
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The Great Palace of the people is no longer a crackling camera, despite the emptiness on the second balcony, usually reserved for the press. Because for this 2020 parliamentary session, few journalists can attend the event, and those who were retained had to pass a test at Covid-19 .
Thermal cameras at the entrance of hotels
Vigilance has also been reinforced in railway stations. Neighborhood committees monitor the entrances and exits of residences. And more generally, health control measures are in addition to the usual security measures such as banning balloons, pigeons and other flying objects near Tiananmen Square.
Thermal cameras to read body temperature have been installed in addition to metal detectors at the entrance of certain hotels where delegates are stationed. These measures are intended to prevent any risk of contamination, but it is also a question of image. This annual congress should appear as a sign of China's victory over the epidemic, a return to normal despite the sea of masks.
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