Since January 23, 2020, Wuhan has been under a city-wide lockdown.

As residents are not allowed to leave the city without permission, all forms of public transportation including buses, railways and flights have been suspended. Most vehicles are not permitted to be on the road, leaving previously packed highways empty and deserted. 

34 days after the lockdown, we take a look at how families, churches, workers and ordinary folks in Wuhan have adapted to the new normal.

ONLY 1 PERSON CAN LEAVE THEIR HOME ONCE EVERY 3 DAYS 

Many households have taken to social media to share what daily life looks like in a lockdown. While boredom was the main problem initially, several families are now facing food shortages as the lockdown drags on.

The stricter rules recently implemented have also added to their difficulties. Residents are now not allowed to leave their neighbourhoods, and only one representative for every household is allowed to leave his home to purchase basic necessities once every three days.  

In response to the food shortage, people have begun adapting their cooking methods. Some shred carrots to make noodles, while others add flour into their meals to make it more filling.

To overcome boredom, apart from their video blogs (vlogs), many residents have also been sharing innovative ways to pass time – one couple even turned their dining table into a table tennis table.

As people are confined to their homes, it also means that most are no longer working and do not draw an income.

One local opened up on his financial struggles in his vlog: Not only does he refrain from buying meat (which is expensive), he’s even had to choose between buying vegetables or diapers for his son since he didn’t have enough money to buy both.

In the end, he bought food for his family, leaving his young son without diapers until he is next able to buy them. 

REDUCING CONTACT, RISING COURAGE

Wuhan authorities have implemented new precautions to ensure less contact among residents. One such example is “contactless deliveries”.

Each neighbourhood has designated checkpoints where delivery orders can be dropped off, safeguarding drivers from coming into contact with customers at their doorstep. A bulk grocery order system has also been established in larger neighbourhood communities.

Grocery delivery has become the go-to option for most, as orders can simply be placed through WeChat before being delivered to the neighbourhood’s collection point.

While this is proving to be an effective measure, it is limited by the number of cars and staff available to serve residents. Nevertheless, many are doing their best to serve Wuhan’s citizens regardless of the risks involved.

Press on deliverymen, volunteers and police officers, we’re cheering for you!

CCTV reporter Zhang Jun followed a group of community workers during Wuhan’s compulsory three-day community lockdown – from February 17 to 20 – to conduct comprehensive inspections of each household. 

Community workers went door-to-door around different neighbourhoods to check on the health and needs of every household, visiting a total of 3,595 households.

It’s hard work covering such a huge area to give out free masks and sterilise areas with confirmed cases, on top of conducting routine checks for people with fever or severe symptoms.

The community worker interviewed echoed this sentiment, “All our staff here, no matter what position they are in – unless he or she is sick or has a child – they are all here working.”

CHURCHES GROWING IN LOVE

Reverend Huang Lei of Wuhan Root and Fruit Christian Church (RFCC, 下上堂基督教会) shared in a recent online interview with Ambassadors for Christ about how his church would continue helping those in need.

Since the lockdown, Rev Huang and his wife have freely distributed vegetables and medical supplies to over 500 families in need.

Observing that various supermarket and pharmaceutical workers rarely had time to eat and only ate instant noodles, the couple also began cooking and delivering two meals a day to them.

Rev Huang encouraged fellow believers, saying: “In times like this, everyone is afraid. Nobody wants to go out. But if there are people in need, we see it as our responsibility to express the love of Jesus Christ by helping them.”

As for how his church has adapted to the lockdown, Rev Huang shared that they have moved meetings online. Compared to their regular weekly Sunday worship services and prayer meetings, the congregation of 550 people now meet online in small groups to pray and study the Bible two hours a day.

To his surprise, he found that his church became more active in praying through this trial. The disabled and elderly in his church have benefitted from the online meetings too, saying they now feel more cherished and connected to their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, having previously felt alienated and abandoned.

RFCC’s group leaders and deacons also now meet online every week, compared to bi-monthly meetings in the past. 

CAN WE SEE THE SAME SPIRIT IN SINGAPORE?

The Wuhan lockdown remains extraordinarily challenging for its residents.

Yet within a month, fruits of faith and love have begun to bloom amid the adversity. The people of Wuhan have shown such a tremendous fighting spirit in the face of COVID-19.

Watching them continue to fight and remain resilient spurs me to emulate the same courage and kindness in Singapore.

Our situation at home may not be nearly as bad, but we don’t need a crisis to happen before uniting and rising up as one nation against the coronavirus.