People across China, on Saturday, paused for three minutes to mourn for the patients and doctors who lost their lives, fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Citizens stood still, while cars, trains and ships sounded their horns, and air-raid sirens rang out in memory of the lives lost due to outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The day of mourning coincided with the start of the annual Qingming tomb-sweeping festival when millions of Chinese families pay respect to their ancestors. The country on Friday reported 19 new cases—most of them were linked to foreign travel.
At 10 am Beijing time, citizens stood in solidarity, with white flowers pinned to their clothes, heads bowed. The flag was flying at half-mast throughout the country and all entertainment was suspended for the duration.
Government officials, including President Xi Jinping, took part in the silent mourning.
In the city of Wuhan, where the outbreak began, all traffic lights in urban areas turned red for three minutes. China has lost more than 3,300 lives in the COVID-19 pandemic. These include frontline medical workers and doctors.
The COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 60,000 people worldwide.
As for the tomb-sweeping festival, where the Chinese pay respect to their ancestors by offering flowers to graves of ancestors and burning incense; the government has requested people to refrain from travelling to graves of ancestors, but to watch cemetery staff carry out these activities via various online streaming services set up for the same.
