China’s coronavirus epidemic has passed its peak, its top health commission said on Thursday, as it logged just eight new infections in Hubei province, the first time the epicenter of the outbreak recorded a daily tally of less than 10, Reuters reported.

With the marked slowdown of the spread of the virus, more businesses have reopened with authorities cautiously easing strict containment measures.

Hubei province, where the coronavirus emerged late last year, announced on Thursday a further loosening of travel restrictions and will also allow some industries to resume production in two of its cities and two counties.

“Broadly speaking, the peak of the epidemic has passed for China,” said Mi Feng, a spokesman for the National Health Commission.

“The increase of new cases is falling,” he said.

Hubei’s economy, driven by manufacturing and trade, including a sizable auto sector in the provincial capital of Wuhan, had been virtually shuttered since Jan. 23.

While the virus is spreading quickly globally, its progress in China has slowed markedly in the past seven days, a result of strict measures imposed to control the movement of people and traffic, including the virtual lockdown of Wuhan, a city of 11 million people.