A couple poses for a wedding photo in Wuhan, China on April 19. Weddings in the city have been postponed due to the coronavirus epidemic.
For more than two months, the city of Wuhan, China, was isolated from the outside world.
Return flights have been canceled. Train and bus routes have been suspended. Highway entrances have been blocked. The streets were empty and people were ordered to stay at home in an unprecedented effort to contain the new coronavirus.
Now things are starting to be different.
Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic, reopened this month after a 76-day deadlock.
"People visit parks, markets, shopping centers. There are a lot of cars on the roads, "said Hector Retamal, photojournalist at Agence France-Presse. "I saw people bathing in the Yangtze river, others dancing in a park. Not yet big crowds, but step by step, life comes back to the city. "
The harsh measures that were put in place - most people couldn't even shop or bury their dead - seem to have worked. New cases of coronaviruses, which numbered in the thousands every day, have slowed.
But despite the enormous progress, many Wuhan residents remain hesitant.
There are more people, but it's still far from the scenes that Retamal remembers last September, when he was in town for a tennis tournament and World Cup basketball games.
"I have visited some shopping centers," said Retamal, "but very few people go there. ... For several nights, I went to see the night scene, and no club is open. "Since a few small bars are waiting for the public. They were empty. People come home early, and I don't see many people on the street at night."
Perhaps this should not be surprising when you consider how much Wuhan has suffered in recent months.
"I always see the fear of people who shyly return to the streets," said Retamal, who has been based in China for the past year. "Sometimes when I try to get close to them, they step back. I understand them. They are afraid of contagion, especially now that contagion comes from other countries.
"But when I see the people of this city going back to the streets, I see hope."
Wuhan is reopened, but there are still restrictions.
To travel to many locations, residents must show a government-assigned QR code on their cell phones. A green QR code means they are healthy and safe to travel.
This system is used in many cities in China and the results are based on a questionnaire that people have to fill out on their phones. If they have reported possible symptoms of the coronavirus, or if they have been in close contact with a sick person, they could be given an orange or red code that prevents them from using the metro, going to a restaurant or 'go to the restaurant. job.
Wuhan residents can return to work if they have a green QR code and a letter from their employer.
Many businesses in the city have reopened, including the "wet markets" where the virus is believed to originate. These markets are where wild animals are slaughtered and sold.
"These markets are the cheapest outlets and are in the middle of the neighborhoods," said Retamal.
Retamal went to Wuhan when the lockdown started on January 23, and it was a surreal experience.
"The first thing I remember was my train trip," he said. "Two people asked me if I was going to Wuhan, and when I said yes, they asked me to return to Shanghai. They told me it was very dangerous, that I shouldn't go. I tried to explain my work, but they continued to insist. "
When he got to the station, almost no one went down with him. The station was empty and those who were still there seemed disoriented. There were no taxis.
"Wuhan looked like a ghost town and it was amazing to see this in a city with 11 million inhabitants," he said.
Retamal and his AFP colleagues spent eight days in Wuhan to cover the January lockout.
He was struck by the openness of people. Their fear was palpable.
"People took my arm to take me to the hospital because they wanted to show me what was going on," he said. "I didn't expect people to do this here because they are always very reserved. But the situation was really different. People in the hospitals were in distress and wanted to show me to the patients and the long queues at the Red Cross hospital. "
Retamal and the rest of the AFP crew were eventually removed from Wuhan as part of the French evacuations. They were quarantined in a seaside resort in Marseille, France.
Retamal returned to Wuhan this month. People seemed relieved that the lockdown was over, but there was not a great deal of emotion - except for one notable scene at the airport.
"The local authorities organized a farewell ceremony for medical teams specially coming to Wuhan to strengthen the hospitals. The local staff hugged the medical workers tightly to say goodbye, and they cried, "he said. "It was a very emotional moment that showed the positive side of this tragedy, which is the generosity and bravery of people to help others."
Hector Retamal is a photojournalist from Agence France-Presse based in Shanghai, China. Follow him on Instagram.
Photo editors: Brett Roegiers and Sarah Tilotta
