Buses and taxis will be allowed to travel freely in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, beginning Thursday as the COVID-19 outbreak has been further contained, the city government said on Wednesday.

Previously, such vehicles were only allowed to operate within designated districts.

However, private vehicles are still barred from traveling to other districts due to infection risks, Sui Rong, head of the city's publicity department, told a news conference in Urumqi on Wednesday.

"After the number of low-risk areas further increases and they become connected, we will then allow private vehicles to travel around the city without delays," said Sui, adding that Urumqi residents are steadily regaining a sense of normalcy as more people in low-risk areas are returning to work and going out to shop.

On Saturday, the city government announced that it had "basically cleared" COVID-19 cases at the community level and started to reopen businesses and resume public transportation services.

On Tuesday, Urumqi recorded one new local confirmed case and 97 asymptomatic carriers.