TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic continues to escalate around the world, major cities in China are seeing large crowds of citizens, many unmasked, on the streets and in shopping centers.

Following the official back-to-work day announced by the Chinese government in early February, many businesses and factories in China have resumed their operations. Popular tourist attractions in Shanghai, Beijing, and other cities have also reopened.

According to Liberty Times, most enterprises in the province of Jiangxi have returned to normal operations. However, none of the employees have been asked to provide a health certificate, and only individuals who traveled from Hubei Province, the epicenter of the viral outbreak, and other locked down areas remain under quarantine.

In a discussion thread on Weibo, users shared photos of the Shanghai Costco packed with thousands of customers shopping for groceries. The posts soon caught the attention of Shanghai authorities, who issued a warning to Costco on Saturday (Feb. 22) telling it to limit the number of customers permitted in the store, reported New Talk.

Other netizens have posted their observations online, pointing out that many Chinese nationals have lost their sense of alertness. These netizens worry that the large crowds will catalyze the forming of coronavirus clusters and expressed suspicions that the optimistic tone adopted by the Chinese media will worsen the situation.