China observes Mourning Day

China has mourned the victims of the coronavirus outbreak by observing a three-minute silence, bringing the nation to a halt.

A day of remembrance was declared in China on Saturday to honour the more than 3,300 people who died of Covid-19.

At 10:00 local time (03:00 GMT), people stood still nationwide for three minutes in tribute to the dead.

Cars, trains and ships then sounded their horns, air raid sirens rang as flags were flown at half-mast.

The first cases of coronavirus were detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province late last year.

Since then, the virus has swept the globe, infecting more than one million people and killing nearly 60,000 in 181 countries.

Saturday's commemoration also coincided with the annual Qing Ming holiday -- the "tomb sweeping" festival -- when Chinese people visit the graves of relatives and leave offerings in remembrance.

Although China claims to have curbed the spread of the virus, some restrictions were tightened again this week to prevent a second wave of infections.

Authorities have discouraged visits to cemeteries to mark the festival.

"We advocate people staying home and having small-scale memorials at home to remember the dead," Fan Yu, an official with China's department of social affairs, said this week.

In Wuhan, some residents burned paper money on the streets Friday, the eve of the festival, instead.

Source: Agencies



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