A return to normal life from COVID-19 may occur soon in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, after the city took strict measures to contain the virus for five weeks.

A 94-year-old patient, who was in serious condition, will be discharged from hospital on Sunday afternoon. The patient was the oldest of all Yangzhou's confirmed cases, many of whom were senior people who got infected at mahjong lounges.

The city, with a population of more than 4.5 million, has reported 570 locally transmitted cases since July 20. As of Saturday, 296 patients had recovered and been discharged from hospital, according to the local health commission.

All the fresh food markets in Yangzhou's downtown areas, which were closed for virus containment, have resumed operation gradually since Sunday. People selling and buying food at the markets should present a green QR code, wear a mask, check body temperature and keeps at least one-meter social distance.

Also, the city has started to lift the lockdown of communities and villages in its downtown areas that reported no cases and managed effective control measures since Sunday. All the lockdown will be removed by Wednesday, said the city's virus control and prevention headquarters.

On Saturday, the provincial government and the Nanjing government established a joint defense and control headquarters to manage the Lukou International Airport and its surrounding areas.

The airport, where clusters of infection were first reported in the latest breakout of COVID-19 on the mainland, has resumed operation since last Thursday.

The headquarters, consisting of 38 departments including Jiangsu's civil aviation safety management bureau, Nanjing's exit-entry border inspection station and the public security bureau at the airport, will work jointly to guarantee the safety of the airport.

The capital city has reported 235 locally transmitted cases since July 20.