Asia now starting in China, where the number of confirmed new infections continues to fall, officials are reporting just a handful of infections each day.

Officials in Wuhan, the city with the outbreak is thought to have begun, have issued a notice saying that key industries can now return to work.

It's understood that will affect public transport and medical suppliers, and the other industries involved in national supply chains can also apply for permission to resume their activities.

I asked our correspondent in Shanghai, Robin Brand, how significant this move is by the Chinese government.

It's not the end, but possibly this is the beginning of the end for the 11 million people or so in the city of Wuhan, which has been cut off not just from China but the rest of the world for almost a six week period.

Now, officials announcing today, just the day after President Xi Jinping went there himself on naming the city or describing it rather as a city of heroes, that officials in Wuhan now announcing that they are going to let workers in key sectors return to work.

That's kind of public transport medical and food deliveries and supplies, and also some businesses there, which are regarded as strategically important in a city that's now become a really important logistical hub for China, they will be able to apply for permission to resume trading as well.

So that's the good news.

On the other hand, though, in terms of traveling around Wu Han getting outside of the city on leaving the province of who bay around itself well, officials are making it clear that the strict restrictions in place which of appeared, have been so effective in containing the virus here on mainland China, they are going to stay in place.

No let up there.