Thousands of people in China rushed to board trains and buses out of Hubei province on Wednesday, March 25, as lockdown restrictions are finally lifted.

Those rushing out were healthy people seizing the first chance to travel after two months under lockdown to head home and see loved ones.

The capital Wuhan in the Hubei province is the city at the epicentre of China's coronavirus outbreak.

Long lines of people holding onto suitcases in the rain were seen queuing for trains.

Railway stations and airports began opening from Marcg 25, except for Wuhan.

Some 30 highways leading into Wuhan were re-opened though, state media said.

Footage showed jam-packed roads.

Hubei natives were also taking the chance to return home.

Xinhua state news agency captured footage of migrant workers in Huanggang, one of the cities worst-hit by the coronavirus outbreak, queuing for long-distance coaches.

People are now allowed to travel in or out of Hubei as long as they have a "green" health code issued by authorities.

These documents indicate they are not infected by the virus, which has killed more than 3,200 in China.

Beijing ordered the shutdown of Hubei in January to contain the spread beyond the province.

China has seen a fall in Covid-19 cases over the past two months.

Residents have been allowed to move about and return to work in recent days, but schools remain closed.

Top photos via Xinhua