Crowds of people at fever clinics in Wuhan, Hubei province, the heart of the novel coronavirus outbreak, have been easing over the past few days due to guidance from local authorities, a leading city official said Monday.

The number of patients seeking diagnosis and treatment in fever clinics in Wuhan has been increasing since the pneumonia outbreak last month, putting many hospitals under excessive burdens, Ma Guoqiang, party chief of Wuhan, said at a news conference. 

Over the past few days, more than 15,000 patients were seeking diagnosis or treatment at the city's fever clinics at the peak period, five times the level before the outbreak, resulting in long queues at big hospitals despite clinics running beyond their capacity, he said.

City authorities recently advised residents to take their temperature at home first before going to hospitals or clinics, and choose nearby community health centers for diagnosis first instead of swarming into a few big and well-known hospitals.