On Jan. 23, 2020, the central government of China imposed a lockdown on Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.
Basic necessities a challenge during city lockdown
All public transport in the provincial capital of Hubei were suspended, and people were no longer allowed to leave the city since then.
Businesses in Hubei have been told not to reopen until at least Feb. 14, 2020, according to CNBC.
Basic necessities such as food has become a challenge for the residents in Wuhan, with a large number of eateries closed or running out of supplies.
People in the Chinese social media space, mainly Weibo, have sounded out complaints about getting food, despite the Chinese government mandating all supermarkets and essential utilities to remain open during the lockdown.
Chen Qiushi, a lawyer and freelance journalist who travelled to Wuhan before the lockdown shared several videos documenting his observations in Wuhan.
On Jan. 27, 2020, he shared that many eateries were unable to open for business, and even those that were open had limited supply of ingredients.
The owner of eatery, where he had his meal, said that they didn't have enough supplies to operate for more than two weeks.
When he mentioned that supermarkets were still open, the owner said that supplies at supermarkets were still sufficient for individuals and families, but wholesale markets that supply to restaurants and businesses were still closed.
In response, a Twitter user said that there was enough to eat.
photo via @saberisacutie/Twitter
Translation:
Relax, there's enough to eat, at worst we'll just eat instant noodles. There's definitely enough of that."
Weibo users documenting life under lockdown on social media
Several Weibo users shared about their supermarket experiences under the hashtag #lockdowndiary, with some of them saying that they would stockpile enough food for two weeks for each trip to the supermarket.
A Chinese netizen said that they were envious of those with pushcarts at home, as they could buy a lot more food from the supermarket at once.
Photo via Weibo user
Man with a pushcart in Wuhan. Photo via Weibo user
Emptied supermarket. Photo via Weibo user
Emptied supermarket. Photo via Weibo user
Another user shared about how he didn't leave his home for 14 days until he ran out of food, and went out to the supermarket "in full gear" to stock up on supplies.
Photo via Weibo user
He added that he bought two full trolleys of food supplies, saying that he "didn't need to leave the house for the next two weeks anymore".
Photo via Weibo user
CNS TV's reporter documented her trip down to the supermarket, describing how people had to queue to take their temperature before entering the supermarket.
She also explained that people had to go down early in the morning if they wanted to buy fresh vegetables at the supermarket.
Top image via Weibo user