It's a city of 11 million people

and the epicenter of a deadly coronavirus outbreak.

Chinese authorities have also sealed off other parts

of surrounding Hubei Province,

all in the hope of preventing the virus

from spreading further.

The Washington Post spoke to two residents inside the city.

They asked that we identify them using only their family names.

Along with many residents, they chose to play it safe.

-We just follow the instruction of [what] the government said.

We try not to go outside.

If we go outside we need to wear the mask.

We stopped the party.

Or any activity with other people.

Actually, I haven't been out of my apartment

for like more than 24 hours.

It's too dangerous outside.

We don't know exactly how many patients are there.

And they're ready for the long haul.

In the supermarket, a lot of people

go to buy the fruit, the vegetable,

and the meat to prepare.

We think it's going to be

not a short time to end this situation.

We are not getting any information on how long at all.

We don't know.

I can stay here for more than a week, at least, we thought.

They both thought the government

should've acted sooner.

Do you think this was the right move by the government,

to lock down Wuhan?

Yeah. This is excellent.

But I think it should have been earlier.

Oh, really? -It happened in December.

That would be much more better, the situation right now.

-Before the January the 1st, the virus was first out.

For some reason, they choose to hide this information

from the public, and tell us it is not serious at all.

Chinese authorities haven't said

when the lockdown would be lifted.

But they are scrambled to build a 1,000-bed hospital

in under a week to ease the burden

on the city's stressed healthcare system.