Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited the coronavirus epicenter of Wuhan for the first time since the disease emerged, a trip intended to project confidence that his government has managed to stem its spread domestically.
Xi arrived Tuesday morning in the capital of hard-hit Hubei province, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Xi will meet with medical workers, military personnel, community workers, police officers, volunteers and others who have been fighting the epidemic, as well as patients and residents, Xinhua said.
Wuhan, where the disease first emerged in December, has been quarantined since Jan. 23, in what some people see as a heavy-handed approach following earlier failures to act quickly enough to stem the spread. Xi's visit comes after a steady drop in infections, with just 19 new cases Tuesday — the lowest since Jan. 18.