Over the weekend, the Wuhan Maya Beach Water Park was filled with partygoers in swimsuits bunched together shoulder to shoulder, waving to the beat of the music while cooling down in hip-high water; others relaxed on inflatable rubber tubes that packed the pool to the brim, with little space to float around.
The crowded party scene remains unthinkable in many parts of the world still grappling with the deadly virus. More than 21 million people have been infected across the globe, with tens of thousands of new cases reported every day in the United States, Brazil and India.
Currently, the water park receives an average of 15,000 daily visitors during weekends, and is offering half-price discounts to some visitors, Hubei Daily reported.
Original epicenter
The novel coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan in December last year. As the original epicenter of the outbreak, infections in the city account for nearly 60% of the more than 84,000 total confirmed cases across China, according to data from the country’s National Health Commission and Hubei Provincial Health Commission.
On January 23, Wuhan was sealed off from the outside world in an unprecedented state-imposed lockdown to contain the fast spreading virus. All flights, trains and buses were canceled and highway entrances blocked. Public transport in the city was shut down, and residents were banned from leaving their communities — even for grocery shopping.
Other cities in Hubei province soon followed suit, adopting similar restrictions.
CNN’s Shawn Deng in Beijing contributed to reporting.