On the surface, Wuhan bustles like a town that has never undergone a paralyzing 76-day lockdown. At dawn, market sellers are busily unloading fresh fruits and vegetables. Office workers fill up well-known restaurants during their lunch break. Red lanterns have been erected everywhere in the city in anticipation of the Lunar New Year celebrations.

On January 23rd, a year has passed since the 11 million-strong central Chinese city was placed under the first coronavirus lockdown in the world. The world was shocked as flights, trains, and buses leaving Wuhan were canceled, highways were blocked and people were ordered to stay in their homes, relying on officials and volunteers for daily necessities. But the Chinese government has now heralded those drastic steps as crucial to curbing the initial outbreak, and similar measures have now been introduced in countries around the world, with lockdowns even taking place in some cities outside of China. In that context, Wuhan has been a success story in taming the virus. There have been no records of a local coronavirus infection for months.