Over the weekend, thousands of people flocked into China's public spaces and parks for an attempt at normalcy during a deadly coronavirus pandemic that's far from over. As major cities across the country lifted their quarantine restrictions, people crowded into parks to enjoy the springtime weather — and in Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus was first reported only months earlier, the city's government-enforced lockdown was lifted on Wednesday.
Despite this optimism, new in
COVID-19 cases in South Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore present a warning that a new wave of infections may be on the rise in the region. The risky behavior has some worried about a major relapse in
COVID-19 infections in the country.
The weekend also marked the Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, in which relatives of the deceased pay their respects to their lost loved ones. In an effort to stop people from gathering, the Chinese government issued a statement recommending people maintain social distancing and avoid others. Still, these pictures show how thousands of Chinese people disregarded the warnings.