Former Wuhan top official returns to epicenter

16:32, February 10, 2020

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  Wuhan businesses await official guidance on resumption of operations

  Bus drivers clean the bus in Wuhan, central Chinas Hubei Province, Feb. 11, 2020. (Photo: Xinhua)Businesses and workers in Wuhan, Central Chinas Hubei Province, at the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus outbreak, are waiting anxiously for policy clarity from local officials as to when they can resume operations and work, as the initial end of the closure period draws near.Given the still serious circumstances surrounding the epidemic and further intensified efforts to contain the virus, many businesses, workers and analysts are calling on officials to delay the plan to resume activity.Hubei Governor Wang Xiaodong said at a press briefing on January 29 that businesses in the province could not resume operations before the end of Thursday. Many have interpreted the comment as meaning that resumption of economic activity could take place starting on Friday. Some companies even plan to resume production on Friday.Chinese computer manufacturer Lenovo plans to resume production at its factory in Wuhan on Friday, after making full preparations for production safety, the company told the Global Times on Wednesday.However, many companies are still waiting for official guidance from the authorities, according to industry insiders. "It is still unclear whether we can start production on February 14. We are still waiting for a notice [from the government]," one insider told the Global Times.A fertilizer producer in Wuhan is also awaiting confirmation from officials before deciding when to restart production, said a company representative. "I dont think we will resume production on February 14," the representative told the Global Times.As of press time on Wednesday, officials in Hubei had not issued any new information regarding the resumption of business operations. Instead, they have stepped up efforts to contain the outbreak by putting further restrictions on the movement of people in and out of communities.The lack of clarity o...

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  Wuhan officials scolded for sloppiness in attending to virus patients

  Community workers use a speaker to publicize the information about prevention and control of the novel coronavirus at a street near the Yellow Crane Pavilion in Wuhan, central Chinas Hubei Province, Feb. 7, 2020.(Photo: Xinhua)Central government officials have summoned those from Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) outbreak, for talks, following the latest incident in which local officials failing to fulfill their duties when transferring a batch of coronavirus patients to a designated hospital, reflecting the central government’s determination to hold all those officials accountable for slackness and misconduct amid the epidemic.“All patients getting admitted to hospitals are the key to preventing and controlling the NCP outbreak. We need to do good things well. How can we turn good things to bad? Why did these Party members and officials responsible for transferring these critically ill patients not follow the car? Wuhan is now in wartime [against the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak]. These people behaved very badly,” said Gao Yu, deputy secretary-general of the State Council and director of the supervision bureau of the General Office of the State Council, at the meeting.Gao pointed out the seriousness of the situation, according to a Xinhua News Agency report.Facing opposite to Gao’s desk, Yu Song, head of Wuchang district in Wuhan, took notes while listening with his face turning red.This is an urgent meeting to address the key problems exposed in the epidemic prevention and control work in Wuhan.On Sunday, Wuhan started to take all critically ill patients who contracted NCP into hospitals. However, when reporters followed one transfer route which took patients to Wuhan Tongji Hospital Sunday night, the whole process was full of problems.Due to the lagging work, disorderly liaison and organization of the Wuchang district government, the conditions of the transfer buses were poor and there w...

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  Chinese singer Lay Zhang invites fans to join in creating a song for novel coronavirus epicenter Wuhan

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