Work resumption in Wuhan faster, better than expected: deputy mayor

Workers work at the construction site of Metro Line 5 in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 31, 2020. Wuhan Metro Line 5 has resumed construction since March 23. (Photo by Jin Wei/Xinhua)

WUHAN, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Work and production resumption in Wuhan, the former epicenter of novel coronavirus, is "faster and better than expected", Hu Yabo, the city's executive deputy mayor, said at a press briefing on epidemic prevention and control on Sunday.

According to Hu, the work resumption rate of industrial enterprises above designated size in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, has reached 97.2 percent by Saturday, and 93.2 percent of leading service companies have resumed business.

Workers work in a maintenance shed of Metro Line 5 under construction in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, March 31, 2020. Wuhan Metro Line 5 has resumed construction since March 23. (Photo by Jin Wei/Xinhua)

The city has introduced a series of supportive policies, such as cooperating with financial institutions to set up an initial 20 billion yuan (about 2.82 billion U.S. dollars) fund, offering subsidies and cutting fees to help epidemic-affected enterprises to get through the difficulties.

No new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were reported Saturday in Hubei. The province has so far reported 67,803 confirmed COVID-19 cases in total, including 50,008 in the provincial capital of Wuhan, Hubei health commission said Sunday.

"The epidemic will bring pains to the economic and social development of Wuhan in the short run, but it will not change the city's long-term sound growth momentum," Hu said. ■