For the first time since the outbreak began, in China there have been no new confirmed cases caused by local transmission reported for five consecutive days up to 23 March 2020. This is an indication that the social distancing measures enacted in China have led to control of COVID-19 in the country. At the peak of the outbreak in China (early February), there were between 2,000 and 4,000 new confirmed cases per day.
Dr Kylie Ainslie, co-author of the report from the MRC GIDA and J-IDEA at Imperial College London, explained: “Our report shows initial evidence that, after successful containment of COVID-19 with strict social distancing measures, those strict measures may be relaxed, and economic activities resumed without the recurrence of local transmission.”
Julia De Cadenet 