URUMQI, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is speeding up the return to normal life and work, all the while promoting anti-epidemic measures on a regular basis, as the COVID-19 epidemic continues to wane, with no new confirmed cases for 15 consecutive days as of Wednesday.

In the regional capital Urumqi, seven shopping malls, six supermarkets and 60 convenience stores under Xinjiang's Youhao Group, a large retail enterprise, opened for business on Wednesday.

After days of disinfection, Urumqi's bus lines resumed operations in an orderly manner on Wednesday, with the city's taxi capacity gradually on the rise.

Some scenic spots in Xinjiang also opened to tourists on Wednesday. Visitors can gain access to the famous Tianchi Lake by providing ID cards and health codes.

By Tuesday, Xinjiang had 22 confirmed COVID-19 cases and nine asymptomatic cases, all in Urumqi, and 560 people were still under medical observation.

From July 15 to Tuesday, a total of 804 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospital after recovery in the region, and 229 asymptomatic cases were released from medical observation.