Two scenarios emerge in lockdown city

The lockdown was imposed in Shijiazhuang as local authorities raced to roll out the first round of citywide nucleic acid testing as part of broader efforts to detect infections for earlier isolation and treatment.

Just two days later, travel by subway, bus, taxi and car-hailing services was halted as the number of cases continued to rise, later prompting the authorities to launch another round of testing for all city residents.

Only a few private cars, for which government permits were issued, could be seen on the roads.

At a news conference on Jan 12, Gao Weili, an epidemiologist at the city's Center for Disease Control and Prevention, advised people to keep warm as they waited to be tested in what is usually the coldest month of the year locally.

Despite the inconvenience caused by the lockdown, people see it as a necessary step to avoid a resurgence of COVID-19 cases.

Shopping malls, theaters, museums and other facilities have been shuttered across the city, with the exception of pharmacies selling medications, and whose staff members wear full protective gear.

The small number of hotels authorized to remain open have started to demand a recent negative nucleic acid test result from guests.

However, a closer look at people's lives in local communities reveals another story－one of mutual help.

Wu Gaoyuan, an English-language teacher at a local college, who is undergoing home quarantine with her husband, 4-month-old son and her parents-in-law, said she is living in isolation but does not feel cut off.

Her family was placed under strict quarantine for 21 days after her husband returned from his family home in the city's Gaocheng district, where the province's first confirmed case of COVID-19 was detected on Jan 2.

"We have a paper seal on our door," the young mother said.

Instead of becoming frustrated, the 27-year-old praised the unity in her neighborhood. She said this is largely due to the community workers and volunteers shuttling between families, grocery stores and pharmacies in an attempt to hold the area together during a challenging time.

"They do all the registration work so that we can go downstairs in different batches to get a throat swab, avoiding cross-infection," Wu said.

"Shijiazhuang people tend to stick together during the hard times," she added.