Chinese President Xi Jinping has visited Wuhan for the first time since the city emerged as the centre of the coronavirus epidemic in January - a major sign that Beijing believes the outbreak is under control.

The timing of Xi's visit indicates that China is ready to declare victory over the health crisis, which has killed at least 3,136 people in the nation and 4,062 worldwide, according to experts.

Xi today inspected a 1,000-bed hospital constructed in 10 days to fight the deadly disease before touring a local community to call on residents in quarantine.

His visit came as Wuhan authorities have closed all of the city's 14 makeshift 'fang cang' hospitals - which were converted from sports halls and exhibition centres - after they treated some 12,000 patients.

It also came as unprecedented quarantine measures that have sealed off the city of 11 million and the rest of central Hubei province since late January appear to have paid off, with new infections dropping dramatically in recent weeks.

A picture released by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV through its official Weibo account shows President Xi delivering a speech at Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan this morning

Huoshenshan or Fire God Mountain Hospital was built in 10 days to help treat surging number of coronavirus patients in Wuhan. CCTV has also released a video, which shows mask-donning Xi speaking to front-line medical workers and patients in the hospital through a video call

Xi is pictured addressing officials working in the Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan today

China state newspaper has urged its people to strive towards the 'victory of a people's war' against the epidemic. People's Daily wrote: '[We] should enhance the party's leadership comprehensively and work around the people to boost the people's power for seizing the victory of the people's war in controlling the epidemic.'

Huoshenshan Hospital was built from the ground in just 10 days to curb the epidemic. This aerial photo taken on February 2 shows the 1,000-bed hospital largely completed in Wuhan

China's progress stands in stark contrast with the growing global crisis, with cases now growing at a faster pace abroad, and Italy enacting its nationwide lockdown.

More than 100 countries are now fighting the contagion, which has infected over 114,400 people globally.

A video released by China's state broadcaster CCTV shows Xi, who arrived by plane in Hubei's capital, wearing a mask as he spoke via video-link to front-line medical workers and patients in Huoshenshan or Fire God Mountain Hospital.

Huoshenshan started treating patients from February 4 after being built from the ground in just 10 days to combat the fast-spreading infection.

Its sister facility, Leishenshan or Thunder God Mountain Hospital, was completed in 12 days.

Xi then went to Wuhan's Donghu New City community at noon to visit people in quarantine and community workers, CCTV said.

A video released by CCTV shows Xi visiting anti-coronavirus volunteers in charge of distributing food and supplies to isolated residents at Wuhan's Donghu New City community

The clip also shows Xi waving at the locals in quarantine as he walks in the neighbourhood

Residents at Donghu New City community are filmed greeting Xi from their balconies

Another clip shows the locals waiving at Xi from their balconies and a mask-donning Xi greeting them back while walking in the neighbourhood.

Xi is also filmed talking to community volunteers in charge of distributing necessities and carrying out health campaigns.

Xi's neighbourhood tour came just five days after China's Vice Premier Sun Chunlan was heckled during an inspection by the city's isolated residents who reportedly complained about being neglected.

A video shows the locals chanting 'fake, fake' out of their windows as they allegedly claimed that Sun was being shown a 'fake' delivery of food.

Quarantined residents have been captured on camera yelling 'fake, fake' at a group of Beijing officials who are inspecting the residential compound in Qingshan District of Wuhan

Sun Chunlan (pictured), the Chinese Vice Premier, was touring an isolated complex in Qingshan District of Wuhan yesterday. She is seen here visiting a hospital in Wuhan

Wuhan's last makeshift coronavirus hospital closes today A worker sets up beds at the Wuchang 'fang cang' hospital inside Hongshan Gymnasium on February 4 The last of Wuhan's 14 makeshift 'fang cang' hospitals closed today after treating 1,124 coronavirus patients, according to officials. The Wuchang 'fang cang' hospital, which had been converted from Hongshan Gymnasium, discharged its last 49 patients at a closing ceremony, said the Wuhan government through its official social media account. Wuchang hospital was the first 'fang cang' facility to open in the city. It started to receive patients from February 5 and operated continuously for 34 days. A total of 833 patients recovered after being treated there and 291 people were transferred to other medical facilities, authorities announced. The city's health authorities ordered workers to turn sports halls and exhibition centres into temporary coronavirus medical centres on February 3. Fourteen such facilities were set up, treating more than 12,000 people who suffered minor coronavirus infections. On March 1, the 'fang cang' hospitals in Wuhan Gymnasium in Qiaokou District became the first makeshift facility to close. Two others shut on March 6 and March 8 respectively and another two discharged their last patients yesterday. Advertisement

China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong is usually a daily fixture in state media but has stayed out of the spotlight for much of the crisis and assigned Premier Li Keqiang to oversee the response to the epidemic.

Li and Vice Premier Sun have already visited the virus-stricken city of Wuhan.

But as the number of new cases has fallen in recent weeks, state media has played up Xi's role in the fight against the outbreak, releasing a speech last month in which he said he had been giving instructions since early January.

Wuhan and the rest of Hubei have been on lockdown since late January in a bid to curb the epidemic. Wuhan streets were still largely deserted on March 10 when Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived for his first visit to the city at the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic

An expert claimed that the timing of Xi's trip to Wuhan indicated an 'interim victory' for China in its fight against the new coronavirus, which has now killed at least 4,060 around the world. Mask-clad passengers alight from their train at the railway station in Wuhan on March 10

With 56 million locked down in Hubei, authorities are now considering the possibility of lifting travel restrictions in low-risk areas to prepare for resuming work and manufacturing. The picture shows a group of people wearing face masks walk along a street in Beijing on March 10

Passengers wearing face masks wait for their train at a railway station in Changsha today

A passenger has his temperature checked at Changsha railway station in Changsha today

The coronavirus has infected more than 80,700 people and killed at least 3,130 in China

Hua Po, an independent Beijing-based political analyst, told AFP the trip's timing indicated an 'interim victory' for China.

'His visit is to signal that the outbreak has been effectively curbed, and is an attempt to quieten external criticism of him not going to the front lines,' said Hao.

China state newspaper has urged its people to strive towards the 'victory of a people's war' against the epidemic.

People's Daily, the mouthpiece of the nation's Communist Party, said in a commentary today: 'At the moment, the control and prevention efforts against the disease are moving in a positive and good direction nationwide. The resumption of economic and social development is accelerating.

'At the same time, the epidemic situation in the province of Hubei and the city of Wuhan, in particular, is still complex and severe. And one should not neglect a possible rebound of the epidemic in other areas.

'At this time in particular, [we] should enhance the party's leadership comprehensively and work around the people to boost the people's power for seizing the victory of the people's war in controlling the epidemic.'

Authorities have faced rare and fierce criticism online over their handling of the virus, with local officials coming under particular scrutiny for punishing whistle-blowers in an apparent attempt to cover up the outbreak in early January.

'During the worst of the outbreak, Xi avoided the epicentre because he did not want to be blamed, but when the situation gets better, he shows up in order to receive praise,' said Bruce Lui, a senior lecturer in journalism at Hong Kong Baptist University.

The death of doctor Li Wenliang, who died from the COVID-19 illness in February, sparked a wave of grief and anger online. He was among a group of people who had raised the alarm as early as December.

The new coronavirus has killed at least 4,060 people and infected over 114,400 globally

Vulnerable Americans - including the elderly and those with underlying conditions - have been told to avoid public places and not to touch door handles or elevator buttons to avoid getting coronavirus (pictured, a worker at the Life Care Center in Washington which is at the center of an outbreak)

Those at risk of infection should also stockpile food an essential medicine in case they are confined to their homes 'for a period of time' (pictured, a patient is taken out of the Life Care Center in Washington)

If you are vulnerable and develop symptoms including cough, fever and shortness of breath you should contact a doctor immediately (pictured, a worker at the Life Care Center)

The virus is believed to have emerged in December at a market that sold wild animals in Wuhan before ballooning into a national and then a global epidemic.

More than 4,000 people have died and over 110,000 have been infected worldwide, with the majority in China.

But China reported only 17 new cases in Wuhan on Tuesday, the lowest figure since it started publishing data on January 21, and two elsewhere that were imported from abroad.

'Xi doesn't want to be associated with the disaster, but with the recovery,' said Adam Ni, a researcher at the China Policy Centre in Canberra.

'China has turned the corner now with COVID-19, and the party now wants to craft the most positive narrative despite early missteps.'

The entire of Italy is now in lockdown and citizens are forbidden from travelling between cities (Pictured, a solder stands guard outside the Duomo Cathedral in Milan)

Images have emerged of coronavirus patients in intensive care in the Cremona Hospital in northern Italy –

Italy is at the centre of Europe's coronavirus outbreak – at least 9,172 people have been diagnosed with the infection and 463 people have died

Downtown Milan is seen almost deserted today as the government has shut down the entire country to try and stop the coronavirus from spreading (Pictured, the Vittorio Emanuele II shopping mall in Milan)

Italians pack supplies of groceries into overloaded shopping trolleys at a supermarket in Rome this morning as they prepare for a weeks-long quarantine after Italy's lockdown was extended nationwide

A crowd of people with shopping trolleys, some of them wearing masks, gather outside a supermarket in Rome this morning

Hua, the Chinese analyst, said the main reason for Xi's visit is because the outbreak has put tremendous pressure on the world's second-largest economy and needs to get back to work.

'Xi wants to uplift people, and his visit suggests a gradual return to normal life and work,' Hua said.

With 56 million locked down in Hubei, authorities are now considering the possibility of lifting travel restrictions in low-risk areas to prepare for resuming work and manufacturing, state media reported on Tuesday.