China holds day of mourning for coronavirus victims

China observed a national day of mourning on Saturday for victims of the coronavirus, which started in the country and has now spread across the globe.

Sirens were heard ringing across the country and the national flag was flown at half-mast as the public was asked to observe three minutes of silence on Saturday morning.

Flags flew at half-mast, sirens rang, and people bowed their heads for three minutes as China observed a national day of mourning amid the #Covid19 pandemic. https://t.co/ZLjaTspUjb pic.twitter.com/D7iYcytWE8

— SCMP News (@SCMPNews) April 4, 2020

All forms of entertainment were suspended, and in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, all traffic lights in urban areas turned red and traffic stopped for the three minutes, according to Reuters.

President Xi Jinping was seen leading the country in the day of mourning, and officials wore white chrysanthemums on their lapels to signify grief.

The event coincided with the annual Qingming festival, when people visit the graves of their ancestors.

More than 82,500 people have been infected with the virus in China and more than 3,300 people have died, according to data released by the government.

However, international figures have questioned the veracity of those statistics, claiming China may be downplaying its total number of cases and deaths from the virus.