The lighter side of COVID-19

Local officials in China are pulling out all the stops to persuade people to stay indoors during the coronavirus outbreak. You’ve heard of quarantines and drones, but to see what a lighter — by which we mean super aggressive and unintentionally hilarious — touch looks like, check out these propaganda banners featuring slogans such as:

今天沾一口野味,
明天地府相会
jīntiān zhān yī kǒu yě wèi
míngtiān dìfǔ xiànghuì

A bite of wild animals today,
See you in hell tomorrow

And others, drawing on language from the Mao era:

发烧不说的人
都是潜伏在人民群众中的阶级敌人
fāshāo bú shuō de rén
dōu shì qiánfú zài rénmín qúnzhòng zhōng de jiējí dírén

Those who don’t report their fever
Are class enemies hiding among the people

They’re all grimly amazing. Click through to Jiayun Feng’s story and enjoy.

—Anthony Tao