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China lifts COVID-19 lockdown in Hubei, reopens attractions in Shanghai and Beijing

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wuhan bridge

China has lifted the coronavirus lockdown in the province of Hubei. The city of Wuhan will remain in lockdown until April 8. Tourist attractions are also reopening in Shanghai and Beijing.

Chinese authorities ended a two-month lockdown of Hubei on Wednesday (March 25), as domestic cases of COVID-19 subside (via The Associated Press).

However, Hubei’s capital city Wuhan will remain locked down until April 8. More than 2,500 people died in Wuhan, out of 3,270 in China.

China stopped people from leaving or entering Wuhan on January 23, later expanding that to most of the province. Trains and flights were cancelled.

Wuhan will remain locked down until April 8

The government now says that work has restarted on approximately 90 percent of major public construction projects in China.

In Beijing, Beijing Zoo and parts of the Great Wall reopened this week, but with advance reservations to limit visitor numbers. Some restaurants have also reopened.

As of Wednesday, Beijing requires all visitors from overseas to be tested for COVID-19 and quarantined for 14 days.

Chinese officials are now focusing on the virus entering the country from abroad, with almost all new cases coming from people arriving overseas.

Beijing has reopened the Great Wall and Beijing Zoo

China’s National Health Commission reported 78 new coronavirus cases, 74 of which were imported, on Tuesday (March 24).

In a notice published online, Beijing authorities said: “Currently, the imported risk from the epidemic’s rapid spread overseas continues to rise.”

According to Shine, more than 80 tourist attractions and 4,200 hotels across Shanghai have reopened, with cultural and tourism venues attracting approximately 1.7 million visits.

The Shanghai Culture and Tourism Administration confirmed that 110 museums and art galleries and 40 libraries and cultural centres reopened on Wednesday.

Tourist attractions have reopened in Shanghai

In addition, the majority of cafes, karaoke halls and gaming and entertainment venues have reopened in Shanghai.

It was recently reported that more than 180 museums in China reopened, including the Shanghai Museum, Shanghai History Museum, and China Art Museum.

Japan is also starting to open theme parks and attractions, as well as businesses and schools, after COVID-19 resulted in closures through February and March 2020.

However, Hong Kong announced that the leisure venues and cultural facilities that reopened earlier this month have closed once again as cases of coronavirus spike.

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Bea Mitchell

Bea is a journalist specialising in entertainment, attractions and tech with 10 years' experience. She has written and edited for publications including CNET, BuzzFeed, Digital Spy, Evening Standard and BBC. Bea graduated from King's College London and has an MA in journalism.

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