Journey to Recovery

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Passengers arrive at the Wuchang Railway Station in Wuhan on April 7. More than 55,000 passengers were expected to board trains from the station on the following day (CHINA PICTORIAL)
Passengers on a train wave goodbye to a staff at the Wuchang Railway Station at 00:50 a.m. on April 8. Coming from Xi'an in the northwest, it was the first train to pull in at Wuhan since the outbound travel restrictions were lifted, picking up 442 passengers from the station (CHINA PICTORIAL)
A woman checks in at the Wuchang Railway Station on April 7 (CHINA PICTORIAL)
People queue up to board a train at the station on April 8 (CHINA PICTORIAL)
An infrared thermometer measures body temperature at the station on April 8 (CHINA PICTORIAL)

The lines of masked passengers boarding trains in Wuhan on April 8 had a special significance. They marked the lifting of outbound travel restrictions after Wuhan turned the tide in its battle against the novel coronavirus epidemic following almost 11 weeks of lockdown.

The sprawling city of 11 million people witnessed over 50,000 people contract the disease and more than 2,500 deaths, accounting for the lion's share of the toll in China. On January 23, to cope with the public health emergency, public transport was suspended and all outbound flights and trains were stopped to contain the epidemic.

After courageous resistance, Wuhan is on the way to steady recovery. On April 9, no new confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in the city for the sixth consecutive day. Public transportation has partly resumed and more people and vehicles can be seen on the once empty roads.

(Photos by Duan Wei & Ma Gengping, China Pictorial)

Copyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar

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