Normalcy starts to restore in Chinese city Wuhan

Life started to return to normal in Wuhan, the epicentre of China's coronavirus outbreak, after the 76-day lockdown ended on Wednesday.

Let's take a look at it:

With traffic controls lifted and construction work resuming, passengers are venturing out to catch buses and trains although Wuhan residents are still urged by health officials not to leave their neighbourhoods, the city and even the province unless necessary.

Many people remain fearful of catching the disease, with China reporting 137 new asymptomatic cases on April 7.

The lockdown of Wuhan has been lifted on April 8, a milestone in China's war against the epidemic as Beijing shifts its focus towards stemming imported cases and rebooting the economy.

In Wuhan, there were signs of normal life once more. Men in protective masks worked on a bridge as construction projects resumed, and residents waved from their apartment windows as a medical team prepared to leave the city.

The Hubei government on Wednesday told workers who had been quarantined at home to go back to work as soon as possible.

People were also able to leave Hubei by train and bus, while the Wudang Mountains, a top scenic site, reopened for visitors, according to state media.

Hubei, a central province that is home to some 60 million people, announced that it was opening malls once again. 

People have started visited them although they are still wearing protective masks.

 

Despite fears of a second wave of infection if such restrictions are eased too soon, the first train to carry departing passengers out of the city left at 00:50 a.m. (1650 GMT), and outbound highways were opened to vehicular traffic around the same time.