New COVID-19 cases continue low single-digit growth

COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland had maintained low single-digit daily growth for four days in a row on Monday with only one confirmed infection, and the day also marked the 20th straight day that saw no additional deaths, as the latest data update from the National Health Commission shows.

An inbound arrival that entered the country in Shanghai, the new infection brought the case count on the Chinese mainland to 82,881. To date, a total of 1,676 imported cases have been counted, the commission said.

A vast majority of patients under treatment have been inbound arrivals. The number of patients that are still hospitalized now stands at 395, a daily drop of 87, and 325 of them returned from abroad.

Another four patients were released from intensive care in the 24 hours ending Monday midnight, bringing the number of patients exhibiting severe symptoms to 29.

None of the 15 further asymptomatic cases registered on Monday were inbound arrivals. But 94 of the 947 such cases still under medical observation are imported ones.

With no new suspected cases registered on Monday, there are now only two such cases on the Chinese mainland.

Of the 735,240 people that have been traced as close contacts with the infected, 7,152 are still under medical observation, it added.

The Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan province have reported a total of 1,523 confirmed cases, including four deaths in Hong Kong and six deaths in Taiwan, the commission noted.

Meanwhile, 1,273 recovered patients in these regions have been discharged from hospitals.