Shijiazhuang returns to relative normalcy after COVID containment

Most residents in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province finally returned to normal life on Friday, after staying home over 20 days due to the COVID-19 epidemic hitting the province's capital earlier this year.

Except for those in two high-risk areas and places that had reported confirmed cases in the past 14 days, each household will be given a uniform pass for their villages or communities, according to the city's vice-mayor Meng Xianghong.

Public transport like buses and taxis will resume operations gradually with limited passenger volume, Meng said on Friday afternoon during a daily news conference.

Spaces for providing services to residents including supermarkets, hotels, vegetable markets and barbershops will also restart their businesses with controlled capacity.

"I never thought I would miss the traffic jam so much, it feels so good," said Li Yuan, a resident in the city's Qiaoxi district. He left home right after he got a pass from the local government.

The 29-year-old man works at a local company and had stayed home for 23 days. "I am so excited that everything will be back to normal," he said, adding his first stop was a barber shop to get his hair done.

However, the city hasn't fully resumed its normal state, as new confirmed COVID-19 cases are still emerging. The city detected a confirmed patient as of 2 pm on Friday, increasing its total reported confirmed cases to 863. Over 30 percent of them had recovered and been discharged from hospital.

Confined spaces like theaters, gyms and libraries will continue their suspension, as will subways. Restaurants are not allowed to serve dine-in customers but can provide take-away food.

Zhang Xueyu, a college student who was restricted to home during her winter vacation, enjoyed what was previously a rare sight: watching cars and buses on the road from her window.

She said this month the roads had been empty, and the city was lifeless. "My hometown is finally recovering, how exciting!"