As the one-time epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, the Hubei province in China was the first to implement extreme lockdown procedures.

The rest of China slowly shut down in the months that followed as the infection rate and death toll rose.

One of the strategies in play to make sure that people followed the strict physical distancing protocols included drones.

Video footage shows these drones flying around, shouting at people who ventured outside without a mask.

Thankfully, drones have since stopped terrifying Chinese citizens, and have been repurposed to thank healthcare workers.

Here’s DroneDJ:

Three hundred drones hit the skies a few nights ago above Zhuhai, China, in a show of thanks to the medical team on the coronavirus frontline in Hubei province, which was hardest hit during the outbreak. The drones put on a synchronized light show that filled the sky with animations.

In photos and videos of the event, the drones appear forming various images, including a woman taking her mask off, stars, a bear with the words, “Welcome,” and various other images related to the medical workers.

Take it all in:

[source:dronedj]