WUHAN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of medics have been scheduled to depart Hubei, once the hard-hit province of the novel coronavirus, on Tuesday, as the epidemic situation has been greatly eased.

The 3,675 medical staffers belonging to 41 medical teams from across China have assisted 14 temporary hospitals and seven designated hospitals in Wuhan, the provincial capital and epicenter of the outbreak.

At about 7 a.m. Tuesday, 43 medics from northwest China's Shaanxi Province left Wuhan on nine buses. Police officers at the expressway toll-gate saluted while watching the motorcade leave.

Hubei Province reported only one new confirmed case of the novel coronavirus disease on Monday.