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Partygoers pack Wuhan water park for massive pool party

The crowded scene at a Wuhan water park would have been unthinkable a few months ago and would still be a shocking sight in most countries fighting COVID-19 now.

The central Chinese city of Wuhan was once the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. But recently crowds have been packing into a Wuhan water park that's hosting an electronic music festival. 

Photos and videos from Wuhan's Maya Beach Water Park have been going viral on social media. The park reopened in June after Wuhan gradually opened after a strict 76-day lockdown amid a push to control the spread of coronavirus.  

Footage taken by an attendee earlier this month, showed people without masks in dense crowds together in the pool, with music playing and performers on a large stage.

The crowded scene would be pretty shocking in most countries who are still working to cut down on COVID-19 outbreaks and using tools like social distancing. 

China has largely contained the local spread of the pandemic that is believed to have originated in Wuhan late last year before spreading worldwide. Global leaders have accused Chinese officials of acting too late to stop it from spreading to other countries. 

In late May, Wuhan tested nearly 10 million people during an unprecedented 19-day campaign to check the entire city after a small cluster of cases popped up in a residential compound. During that stretch, just 300 positive cases, none of whom had symptoms, were identified. 

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As of Tuesday, nearly 22 million people have contracted COVID-19 and 775,000 have died, according to data from John's Hopkins University

Despite the massive crowds at the water park, entry requirements are strict. Partygoers must reserve their tickets online up to a week in advance with a national ID number, and when they arrive they must present their "health code" generated from a mobile app that tracks people's movements.

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The pool party is part of the of HOHA Electronic Music Festival at Happy Valley Wuhan, which started on July 11 and will finish on Aug 30.

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