News Anchor Wearing Mask Amid Wuhan Pneumonia Spread Gains Attention

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] A photo showing a 'Hubei Jingxi' TV anchor in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, the origin of the novel coronavirus, delivering the news while wearing a mask has become a hot topic.

According to Chinese media including Guancha.com on the 23rd, the photo shows a female anchor seemingly delivering the news while wearing a mask. It is unusual for a news anchor to conduct a broadcast wearing a mask. On the Chinese social networking service (SNS) Weibo, related photos and supportive messages ranked first in search terms.

As the photo gained attention, the anchor explained through her Weibo account, "After the news ended at 7:25 PM on the 22nd, I received many messages asking about the situation in this photo," adding, "I was not delivering the news wearing a mask, but rather demonstrating the proper way to wear a mask to inform the public that masks should be worn when going out."

The fact that the news anchor emphasized to the public the seriousness of the Wuhan pneumonia outbreak and the importance of wearing masks for hygiene has received enthusiastic responses from netizens.

The city of Wuhan has made wearing masks mandatory in public places. On the same day, Wuhan authorities temporarily suspended public transportation operations in the city from 10 AM to prevent the spread of Wuhan pneumonia.