The city of Wuhan has allowed people to leave the area for the first time since its went into lock down in late January.

Those with a green code on a widely used health app on their smartphones now have permission to leave the city.

As restrictions within Wuhan have been gradually easing, our correspondent John said.

Birth joins us now from Beijing Well, Hugh, after its initial faltering steps, China eventually hit this virus hard, shutting its whole economy down.

And while there is some doubt about the detail of the official figures, it's clear the government believes the trend is going in the right direction.

The priority now is to cautiously get the economy going again.

Which is why today we've seen something that few people would have thought possible a couple of months ago, the reopening of the city where this whole thing began after 76 days of locked down, the trains were lined up and ready to go, the barriers taken down from the highways and who have reopened its links to the outside world.

It's a long way from this.

The outbreak, which began in the city had by late January spiraled out of control so strict with the quarantine rules that only a select few are allowed to move around the city, including delivery drivers providing a vital lifeline.

The roads were empty.

It made me feel set.

As people couldn't leave their homes.

People would ask us for help with things like delivering medicine to their elderly parents.

President.

She's walkabout In Wuhan last month was the first shore sign that the infection rate was now under control.

But questions remain.

Social media footage of the long lines outside funeral homes led to claims that deaths were far higher than officially reported on.

There's still deep anger directed at local officials for covering up the outbreak.

Early on, Jang Jai lost his 76 year old father to the virus.

It's because of the cover up by a small group of all Hon officials can lead to my father's death.

I need an apology and I want compensation.

But for the authorities, the focus is on getting the country moving again.

The reopening off Wuhan is a hugely symbolic moment in China's efforts to declare victory over this virus, while its handling of the outbreak may raise many questions it offers some hope to.

These roads in Beijing were deserted just a few weeks ago.

Look at them now.

Officials admit new outbreaks could still occur, but for now, they're celebrating.

Hand success was marked with a light show, John said.

Worth BBC News.

Beijing Let's take a brief look at some of the other Corona virus developments around the world today.

The U.

S State of New York is on the verge of overtaking Italy for confirmed cases of covert 19 almost 132,000 cases.

It has 700 fewer than Italy.

But with only 1/3 of Italy's population, United States is now the epicenter off the pandemic in France.

Corona virus deaths of past 10,000 1 of the highest levels in the world, and the authorities in Paris have intensified the lock down, banning outside exercise during the day.

The new rules will come into force between 10 AM and seven PM from tomorrow.

Japan has declared a state of emergency in the capital, Tokyo, and six other regions in an attempt to tackle the spread of the virus.

Despite a relatively small number of infections.

There are concerns that a sudden rise in cases in Tokyo in the past week could lead to a major outbreak.

No After heavy criticism in recent weeks of the slow response by banks in supporting businesses, the boss of Britain's biggest lender has defended its response to the Corona virus outbreak.

The head of NatWest Group, formerly known as RBS, says it has struggled to cope with the huge call volumes from customers.

Chief executive Alison Rose has been speaking exclusively to our business editor, Simon Jack.

It's an economic race against time.

This bar on wine shop in Stockport has been paying suppliers staff rent and cash is running out fast.

But 330 billion in government backed loans from the banks has been slow coming.

We're really struggling and just need some help with cash flow right now, and it's being too late.

Anything that comes now is more than welcome, but we really, really, really need help now.

Requests to Zane, Bank, NatWest and others have so far gone unanswered.

I put his case to the boss of the U.

K's biggest lender to business, Alison Rose.

One of your customers was promised a call the very next working day.

That was two weeks ago.

He's had nothing.

Why is that?

What's going wrong?

Are call centers normally take 3000 calls a day?

We're now receiving 25,000 which is why I'm redeployed staff, retraining staff and getting people to help, and the money is starting to move.

But I appreciate it is a very desperate situation for a lot of businesses.

We've removed the requirement.

Last week, the chancellor tried to make it easier to get access to loans, removing personal guarantees for smaller loans on letting firms go straight to the emergency ones rather than jump through normal hoops First, 11 years ago, banks were saved by billions of taxpayer's money.

Many feel this time the banks should take some losses on the chin themselves and accept they may not get back all of their money.

I recognize that the sort of challenge that you're putting down, which is why we've restructured our business, we focused on people.

We are putting funds out as quickly as we physically can to these businesses to help them.

During this period, many UK businesses are unable or unwilling to borrow their way out of this crisis.

More radical solutions are being discussed, including governments or banks taking an ownership stake in thousands of businesses a decade ago, the banks part nationalised.

This time it could be parts of the entire economy.

Simon Jack, BBC News.