The central government team guiding the COVID-19 epidemic control work in Hubei Province on Monday finished their work and returned to Beijing, after Wuhan, where the coronavirus outbreak first began, said it had discharged all coronavirus patients.  

The epidemic prevention and control measures in Hubei Province, including Wuhan, have also been relaxed from "emergency" to "regular," according to a statement released by Xinhua News Agency. 

The central government team, led by Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, finished their work and departed for Beijing on Monday at the approval of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the statement said. 

The team was deployed to Hubei on January 27 to guide the epidemic prevention and control work. 

40 days in Hubei: The central government team's role in coronavirus epidemic control 

A health official said on Sunday Wuhan now has no remaining cases in its hospitals.

"The latest news is that by April 26, the number of new coronavirus patients in Wuhan was at zero, thanks to the joint efforts of Wuhan and medical staff from around the country," National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng said at a briefing.

Wuhan has reported 50,333 cases, 60.76 percent of the mainland's total. It saw 3,869 deaths.

The city was locked down at the end of January, with roads sealed, trains and planes canceled and residents staying home for more than two months. Despite relaxing the restrictions, Wuhan still tests residents regularly. 

The focus has since shifted to the northeastern border province of Heilongjiang, which has seen large numbers of imported COVID-19 cases entering from Russia.

(Cover: Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, sees off medics departing Hubei at a former temporary hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 17, 2020. /Xinhua)