Wuhan scraps easing of coronavirus quarantine hours after announcing it

An announcement that the Chinese city of Wuhan would relax some of its travel restrictions and allow some people to leave was made without authorisation and has been revoked, the local government said on Monday.

The city at the epicentre of a coronavirus outbreak that has already killed more than 2,500 people said it would continue to impose strict controls over its borders in order to prevent the virus from spreading further.

It said it had reprimanded the people responsible for the earlier announcement that healthy people would be allowed to leave if they had vital business. The earlier announcement came amid signs that the spread of the virus in China was slowing, with more than 20 province-level jurisdictions reporting zero new infections on Sunday and several regions lowering their emergency response levels.

People who have recovered from the COVID-19 coronavirus infection leaving a hospital by bus in Wuhan. | Chinese authorities on Monday slightly relaxed their month-long quarantine measures in Wuhan, allowing some people to leave the epicentre of the country's virus epidemic under certain conditions.

Barbed wire is seen on an entrance to a residential compound in Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak, Hubei province. | The city of 11 million has been under lockdown since January 23 after authorities shut down transport links into and out of the city in an effort to contain the new coronavirus outbreak.

A woman uses her mobile phone behind barbed wire at an entrance of a residential compound in Wuhan. | Non-residents may leave the central city of 11 million people if they show no symptoms of the new coronavirus and have never had contact with patients, the city said in a statement.

People who have recovered from the COVID-19 coronavirus infection leaving a hospital by bus in Wuhan. | People with special reasons to leave the city including those who need treatment for other medical conditions and those doing epidemic prevention work may also leave Wuhan, the statement said.

A woman welcoming people who have recovered from the COVID-19 coronavirus infection as they are discharged from the hospital in Wuhan. | Departures must be staggered and people must apply for permission from local authorities before leaving. Cars leaving the city must not carry more than two people, including the driver, at a time, the city said.

A man (L) who has recovered from the COVID-19 coronavirus infection being disinfected by a medical staff before leaving the hospital in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province. | Once travellers have reached their destinations outside of Wuhan, they must report themselves to local authorities and monitor their health for 14 days, the city said.

A man who has recovered from the COVID-19 coronavirus infection leaving a changing room at a hospital in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province. | The epidemic's spread has slowed down in China outside of Hubei province, which Wuhan is the capital of, with multiple provinces have reported zero new infections for several days in a row.

A medical staff wearing protective gear looking on outside a makeshift hospital in Wuhan. | Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated late last year, continues to account for the majority of new cases and deaths in the country.