[iliveinchina]

That is a possible explanation, but not necessarily the most likely explanation.

It's also quite plausible the Hubei numbers are being scrutinized and processed differently (perhaps with input or oversight from the central government) whereas the other provinces are relying more on local provincial officials' reporting. There is a high incentive for these officials to avoid reporting negative news, so a bias towards low numbers would not be surprising.

We should rely more on international numbers instead of Chinese ones and particularly look askew at the China ex-Hubei numbers.