WUHAN -- A total of 7,022 medical workers belonging to 66 medical assistance teams left Hubei by air on March 31 as the COVID-19 outbreak in the hard-hit province has been subdued.

It was the largest batch of departing medics since medical assistance teams began to withdraw on March 17.

"I am very happy. It has been a special journey and an unforgettable learning experience for me," said She Sha, a nurse from Sichuan Province. She has spent the past 59 days in Wuhan combatting the deadly virus.

At 1:33 pm, the plane taking She and her 116 colleagues home took off from Wuhan Tianhe Airport.

In the meantime, Feng Ning, a captain of China Southern Airlines, was flying 87 medical staffers back to Guangdong Province.

"I have fulfilled my promise that I made two months ago when I brought them here -- to bring them back home," Feng said.

Artists from the provincial federation of literary and art circles put on performances at the airport to pay their respects to the departing medics.