Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 outbreaks in Xiangyang, and to provide a scientific basis for curbing the development of the epidemic. Methods A retrospective epidemiological investigation was conducted to analyze the epidemiological characteristics of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city from January 1 to April 30, 2020. Results Confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported throughout the city, and the epidemic situation decreased significantly after February. The median age of confirmed cases was 47 years old, and most of them were 25-65 years old (86.89%). The average interval time between first diagnosis and admission was 5.23 days, while the average interval time between diagnosis and confirmation was 1.69 days. As time went on, the time intervals between the first diagnosis and admission and between diagnosis and confirmation were significantly shortened. The higher the proportion of previous underlying diseases was, the more serious the COVID-19 infection was (χ²=44.40, P<0.05). Conclusion The infection of COVID-19 in Xiangyang is highly contagious, but the cluster epidemic was mainly mild. Novel coronavirus infection is closely related to occupational exposure, with young and middle-aged people being high-risk populations. Early diagnosis, early isolation, comprehensive treatment and active control of chronic underlying diseases are crucial to the control of COVID-19.