Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei province where the global coronavirus pandemic originated last December, has now been classified as a low-risk area as the city has not reported a new COVID-19 case in the last 14 days, authorities said.

By the end of Friday (17 April), Hubei province had 76 low-risk cities and counties and none with high risk or medium risk, Xinhua news agency quoted the provincial COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control headquarters as saying on Saturday.

Wuhan saw its last medium-risk district of Qiaokou classified as low-risk compared with the assessment on Thursday.

It had its coronavirus risk evaluation downgraded from high-risk to medium-risk on 27 March.

According to the risk criteria defined in a guideline issued by China's State Council, cities, counties, and districts with no new confirmed cases in the last 14 days are categorised as low-risk areas, those with fewer than 50 cases or those with over 50 but without a concentrated outbreak are classified as mid-risk areas, and those with over 50 cases as well as a concentrated outbreak are classified as high-risk areas.

This development comes after Wuhan on Friday had revised the number of deaths caused by the disease in the city, leading to some 50 per cent increase in the figures.

In an announcement, the Wuhan municipal headquarters for the COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control said the revisions were made as per the laws and regulations concerned, and out of the principle of being responsible for history, the people and the deceased.

It added that this would ensure that the information on the city's COVID-19 epidemic was open and transparent, and the data accurate.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)