For the first time since the pandemic began, Chinese officials have reported no new locally transmitted coronavirus cases, marking a significant step forward for the country and a major turning point in combatting the virus. On Thursday morning, Chinese officials from the National Health Commission announced that there were only 34 new cases in the past 24 hours, all of which were imported from overseas. In the same period, China reported eight new deaths all in Hubei.
On Wednesday, there were no new reported cases in Hubei at all, where the virus was first identified. The milestone is proof of the success of China’s strict efforts to control the virus despite controversy over the government’s actions during the initial outbreak period. In February and early March, the country was reporting thousands of new cases each day and was considered the most high-risk infection area in the world. The draconian quarantine measures and travel restrictions have, however, taken a steep toll on the Chinese economy and its citizens.