China lifting restrictions in Hubei province

The Chinese government signaled on Tuesday that it would end its lockdown of Hubei province — home to the city of Wuhan, the initial epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak — at midnight, as the number of new cases in the country has plummeted.

Provincial residents who have been given a clean bill of health will be able to leave, The Associated Press reports. Wuhan, however, will stay on lockdown until April 8.

The Chinese government first locked down Wuhan, the provincial capital, on Jan. 23. The move was made to stop the alarming spread of the novel coronavirus in the country, but the virus, now a global pandemic, continued to rage in Wuhan and the province for the next two months. 

According to the AP, it remains unclear whether those leaving Hubei will be able to enter other large population areas in China, such as Beijing.

Beijing officials on Tuesday announced that all incoming international travelers will be screened and quarantined.

Also on Tuesday, China’s National Health Commission reported 78 new cases of the virus, with 74 of them coming from overseas travelers.