The central Chinese province of Hubei, where the coronavirus now spreading across the globe was first discovered, has begun a staggered return to work, its government announced on Wednesday.
Businesses in the provincial capital of Wuhan, ground zero of the outbreak, can only return to work if they are important to national or global supply chains and gain government approval, the Hubei government said on its website. Other businesses cannot begin work until March 21.
Official Chinese data has in recent days suggested the outbreak, which has infected over 80,000 people across the country, is under control in most areas of Hubei, even as new cases continue to be discovered in the Wuhan on a daily basis.