China honors virus victims with 3 minutes of reflection

Commemorations took place at 10 a.m. Saturday in all major cities, but were particularly poignant in Wuhan, where the virus was first detected in December.

April 04, 2020 07:47 am | Updated 07:48 am IST - WUHAN (China):

Volunteers from the Blue Sky Rescue team wearing protective suits is seen at the Qintai Grand Theatre in Wuhan, Hubei province, the epicentre of China's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.

Volunteers from the Blue Sky Rescue team wearing protective suits is seen at the Qintai Grand Theatre in Wuhan, Hubei province, the epicentre of China's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak.

With air raid sirens wailing and flags at half-mast, China has held a three-minute nationwide moment of reflection to honor those who have died in the coronavirus outbreak.

Commemorations took place at 10 a.m. Saturday in all major cities, but were particularly poignant in Wuhan , where the virus was first detected in December.

Wuhan was placed under complete lockdown on Jan. 23 and has been lauded as a “heroic city” by the nation’s communist leadership for the sacrifices made by its 11 million citizens.

On Saturday, China reported one new case in Wuhan and 18 among people arriving from abroad, along with four new deaths, all in Wuhan. China now has recorded a total of 81,639 cases and 3,326 deaths, although those figures are generally considered to be understated.

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