After two months under lockdown, Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China, is gradually restoring movement, allowing residents to return to normal life as they overcome the virus.
A report from the UK Guardian revealed that on Monday, small groups of citizens in the central Chinese city were observed leaving their residential areas, visiting grocery stores, and strolling along the streets for the first time in weeks.
Over the weekend, the city welcomed its first arrival of over 1,000 workers from other parts of the province, signaling a return to work. Additionally, reports of traffic congestion in Beijing surfaced on Monday morning.
This development followed local authorities’ announcement that virus-free individuals with a green health code and an employment certificate could start resuming work, with the city gradually reopening and public transportation set to resume.
Residents stranded in Wuhan since the stringent travel restrictions were imposed on 23 January could also apply for departure, according to city authorities.
Authorities confirmed a significant drop in locally transmitted infections in China, although imported cases continue to rise. On Monday, China reported 39 new cases, all of which were imported. In total, there have been over 81,000 cases in China with 3,270 deaths. Globally, there are 350,457 cases with 15, 317 deaths and 100,354 recoveries.