Delivery companies have gradually resumed normal operations in Wuhan, the city hit hardest by the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The past three days have witnessed explosive growth in the number of orders delivered in Wuhan as the city returns to normal with no new cases reported for four straight days.

"The all-around resumption of delivery service is convenient for people's daily lives and helpful for the prevention and control of the epidemic," said Zhang Yawen, an official from the Wuhan Postal Administration.

A courier can deliver about 200 orders a day, which ensures that at least 200 people can stay indoors to help prevent the spread of infection, he added.

One million orders were delivered on March 22. Food, masks and spring clothing top the list for online shoppers, said Jin Xiang, manager of the Wuhan administration center of ZTO Express.

"Express delivery enterprises are vital for daily life, and the restoration of our company means normal life is not far away."

Before the outbreak, there were more than 4,000 express outlets and 42,000 express staff working in the city, which has a population of about 15 million. Couriers deliver more than 3 million packages per day.

After its lockdown on Jan 23, most courier companies, except JD, SF and EMS, suspended delivery.

Chang Yan from JD Hubei branch said that from Jan 23 to March 19, JD transported more than 60 million emergency medical supplies, with a total weight of 30,000 metric tons.

More than 8,000 tons of medical materials and living necessities from across the country were sent to Hubei.

"What we deliver is not only food but hope for people who cannot go outside," said Wu Hui, a food deliveryman in Wuhan who continued working after the lockdown.

With no new infections reported and the closure of makeshift hospitals, the local government started to arrange for the resumption of production.

According to the Work and Production Resumption Plan issued by Wuhan COVID-19 Prevention and Control Headquarters on March 16, the first enterprises to resume operations include daily necessities, epidemic prevention products and public utilities.

The Wuhan Postal Administration said that it has helped companies bring their personnel and trucks into the city.

Zhang emphasized that epidemic prevention and control is still the top priority in Wuhan at present and is the primary prerequisite for resuming production.