A full two months after Chinese authorities locked down the city at the centre of the country’s coronavirus outbreak, the end is in sight.
Hubei province said Tuesday that travel restrictions on the capital city of Wuhan will be removed starting April 8, which would end a lockdown that began on Jan. 23.
The virus first emerged in the city in late December and has killed more than 2,500 people there, meaning Wuhan alone accounted for nearly 80% of the country’s total deaths of more than 3,200.
New confirmed virus cases in China have dwindled in the last several days, with nearly all now attributed to travelers returning from overseas.
Travel restrictions for the rest of Hubei province will be lifted starting Wednesday, while schools will remain closed until further notice, according to an online announcement.
In the last few weeks, COVID-19 has spread to well over 100 countries in a global pandemic that has killed more than 11,000 people. Countries from Italy to the United States and Iran are struggling to contain the virus, with large cities shutting down schools and public places, or issuing stay-home orders.
On Monday, Canada had nearly 1,500 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 20 deaths. Last Monday, Canada had just more than 400 confirmed cases.
