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This Happened

This Happened—January 23: The First COVID Lockdown

On this day three years ago, the Chinese government imposed a lockdown in Wuhan in what marked the unofficial beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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When was the first lockdown in Wuhan?

As a measure to stop the spread of COVID-19, first identified in Wuhan, the first lockdown was put into place on January 23, 2020 and lasted for 76 days ending on April 8, 2020.

What were the restrictions during the Wuhan lockdown?

During the lockdown, residents were not allowed to leave their homes or neighborhoods, and all public transportation was suspended. Movement within the city was also restricted, and all non-essential businesses were closed.

Did the Wuhan lockdown work?

The lockdown, along with other measures implemented in China, was effective in slowing the spread of the virus. However, the virus quickly spread to other countries, leading to a global pandemic.

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FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War

How Russia Planned For The Wrong War — With The Wrong Army

Russia is losing in Ukraine not just because of Putin's madness and the heroism of Ukrainians, but also because Russia's army is built for rapid invasion and occupation, not for the type of grinding war it is now fighting in Ukraine.

Photo of a Russian Western Military District soldier inside a tank during a mission in Ukraine on March 7

Russian Western Military District soldier inside a tank during a mission in Ukraine on March 7

Yuri Fedorov

In the early days of the Russian invasion, both Moscow and the West predicted Ukraine would quickly be defeated.

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On Feb. 26, 2022, the American Institute for the Study of War wrote: “Russia will likely defeat Ukrainian regular military forces and secure their territorial objectives at some point in the coming days or weeks if Putin is determined to do so and willing to pay the cost in blood and treasure.”

Events, however, took a different path.

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