Mainland China sees new coronavirus cases double to 99 as imported infections jump

3:47 pm on 12 April 2020

Mainland China reported 99 new coronavirus infections on 11 April, more than doubling from the previous day to reach a one-month high, as the number of single-day imported cases hit a record, official data released on Sunday showed.

A medical worker takes a swab sample from a person to be tested for the COVID-19 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China's central Hubei province on March 29, 2020, a day after travel restrictions into the city were eased following the outbreak.

A medical worker takes a swab sample from a person to be tested for the Covid-19 coronavirus in Wuhan, China's central Hubei province on 29 March. Photo: AFP

In addition, highlighting another major source of risk, newly reported asymptomatic coronavirus cases nearly doubled to 63 on 11 April, from 34 the previous day, according to China's National Health Commission (NHC).

Almost all the new infections - the biggest daily count since 6 March - involve travellers from overseas. Just two out of the 99 cases were locally transmitted.

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Shanghai, China's commercial hub, contribute to more than half of the imported cases. The city reported 52 new coronavirus cases on 11 April, all involving Chinese nationals travelling from overseas, the municipal health commission said on Sunday.

Of Shanghai's new cases, 51 flew in on the same flight from Russia on 10 April. The 52nd case involves a Chinese national arriving in Shanghai from a trip to Canada.

China's north-eastern province of Heilongjiang reported 21 new imported cases on 11 April, all involving Chinese nationals travelling from Russia.

The country's tally of infections now stands at 82,052, while the death toll stands at 3339.

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