China's coronavirus-hit Wuhan city on Monday revoked its decision to partially lift a month-long lockdown barely three hours after the announcement, a media report said, as the death toll climbed to 2,592, while the number of confirmed cases increased to more than 77,000.
The Wuhan local administration earlier announced that people who are not quarantined and seeking special treatment or stranded in the city can leave in batches. The city of 11 million people was the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.
China locked down Wuhan city on January 23, followed by the entire Hubei province with over 50 million people. Wuhan is the provincial capital of Hubei. Over 18 cities in the province have been sealed.
No residents were allowed to leave the city since then, including several hundred foreigners, mainly students.
India has evacuated 647 Indians and seven Maldivians by operating two special flights. India is awaiting permission to airlift over 100 more.
Barely three hours after the notice was issued, the government announced that the decision had been retracted saying it was issued by a subordinate working group of the city's disease control command without their superiors' approval, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
The disease control command said it would reprimand the officials who issued the order without approval.
The evacuation has evoked hope for many as no residents were allowed to leave the city since then, including several hundred foreigners, mainly students.