China has lifted a months-long travel ban on residents of Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus first emerged late last year.
The lockdown on the city in Hubei Province that began on January 23 was lifted Tuesday after the National Health Commission reported its first fatality-free day since it began publishing figures in January.
As of just after midnight Wednesday, the city's 11 million residents were permitted to leave without special authorization as long as a mandatory smartphone application showed they are healthy and have not been in recent contact with an infected patient.
Roads have reopened, trains are operating and limited flight services have resumed at Wuhan's international airport.
The city will continue prevention measures, such as wearing masks, temperature checks and limiting access to residential communities.
In an editorial in the People's Daily, the government warned, "At this moment, we still need to remind ourselves that as Wuhan is unblocked, we can be pleased, but we must not relax.''
Across the mainland, over 81,000 infections have officially been tallied and more than 3,300 deaths, however, there are suspicions and criticism that Beijing has underreported the real figures.■
<Photo: Yonhap News>
