'It's payback': China dismisses outrage after Wuhan pool party goes viral

Chinese state-backed media has dismissed outrage over a huge Wuhan pool party after images of the event were widely viewed on social media.

Pictures showed hundreds of revellers congregating in an outdoor swimming pool in the city where the virus was first detected - but some onlookers criticised the event, pointing out that the virus was still rampant in many parts of the world.

But the English-language paper Global Times defended the images and said the party was "payback" for Wuhan's long quarantine at the start of the outbreak.

In an article bearing the headline "Wuhan's after-pandemic pool party sends a message to world: strict anti-virus measures have a payback" the paper argued that countries still struggling with Covid-19 should see the images of the party as a sign of hope.

The piece said: ""Wuhan, the city where COVID-19 was first reported and the one hit hardest by the virus, is now welcoming an influx of tourists, and its economy is reviving, which local residents believed should not only be seen as a sign of the city's return to normalcy, but also a reminder to countries grappling with the virus that strict preventive measures have a payback."

The article went on to argue that Wuhan's economy was reviving, with some tourist spots seeing large numbers in recent weeks.

The photos showed a music festival at a water park in the city. None of the people in the photos appeared to be wearing masks and there seemed to be little evidence of social distancing.

But the park said that numbers were limited to 50 per cent of usual visitor numbers and everyone who came was given a temperature check.

Wuhan was put under lockdown on January 23 after 540 coronavirus cases and 17 confirmed deaths. The lockdown was much stricter than its UK equivalent, with people confined to their homes and roadblocks put in place around the city.

The barriers were removed 76 days later in early April, and restrictions were gradually lifted over the following weeks. Wuhan has not reported new cases since mid-May, according to Global Times.

Read more

UK tourists pay hundreds to get home before quarantine deadline- LIVE