Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday made his first visit to Wuhan since the novel coronavirus outbreak began more than two months ago, as new cases of the virus slowed to a trickle in the country where the disease first emerged.

Media reports say that Xi’s visit to Wuhan is a signal that the nation’s leadership believes its fight against the epidemic has been largely won.

Xinhua says the inspection to Wuhan, Hubei Province, took the president to a hospital treating severely ill COVID-19 patients and a residential community.  He reportedly visited patients, medics, community residents and workers, police officers, military personnel, officials and volunteers who have been fighting the novel coronavirus.

Xi talked with patients in the hospital through a video link, and expressed his wishes for their quick recovery.

Leaving Huoshenshan Hospital, Xi came to a residential community. People quarantined at home waved to Xi from their balconies and windows. Xi waved back and expressed his regards.

CNN says that as of Tuesday, there have been 80,754 cases of the virus confirmed across China, 67,760 of which were in Hubei, the province of which Wuhan is the capital.  Of the 3,136 deaths confirmed in China, all but 112 have been in Hubei.