Volunteers transport relief supplies from Hanchuan of Hubei province, in Suifenhe, northeast China's Heilongjiang province, April 19, 2020. (ZHANG TAO / XINHUA)

BEIJING/WUHAN/HARBIN - China will step up epidemic prevention and control measures in major cities and at key ports, resolutely guarding against the cross-border spread of the coronavirus, a health official said Monday.

Noting that the number of imported COVID-19 cases has continued to decline in the past week, Mi Feng, spokesman for the National Health Commission, said the risk of virus transmission through land borders is still on the rise.

While the number of imported cases has continued to decline in the past week, a spokesman for the National Health Commission said the risk of virus transmission through land borders is still on the rise

He pointed out that there had been clustered infections caused by local infections resulting from imported cases.

Mi said testing capabilities will be enhanced and medical treatment will be strengthened at major cities and key ports, with loopholes in epidemic control fixed.

He also called on the public to strengthen personal protection to prevent the spread of the virus.

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The other four new cases were domestically transmitted, the National Health Commission said in a daily report, noting that three cases were reported in Heilongjiang province and one in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

No deaths were reported Sunday on the mainland. Two new suspected cases, all imported ones in Shanghai, were also reported.

The National Health Commission said there were 12 new confirmed cases reported on Sunday, of which eight were imported

According to the commission, 22 people were discharged from hospitals after recovery Sunday, while the number of severe cases stood at 81.

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As of Sunday, the mainland had reported a total of 1,583 imported cases. Of the cases, 742 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 841 were being treated with 43 in severe condition, said the commission.

No deaths from the imported cases had been reported, it added.

The overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 82,747 by Sunday, including 1,031 patients who were still being treated, 77,084 people who had been discharged after recovery, and 4,632 people who died of the disease, the commission said.

The commission said that 43 people, including 39 from abroad, were still suspected of being infected with the virus.

It added that 8,694 close contacts were still under medical observation. On Sunday, 904 people were released from medical observation.

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The commission also said that 49 new asymptomatic cases, including five from abroad, were reported on the mainland

Also on Sunday, 49 new asymptomatic cases, including five from abroad, were reported on the mainland. No asymptomatic case was re-categorized as a confirmed one, and 58 were discharged from medical observation including seven imported cases, according to the commission.

The commission said 990 asymptomatic cases, including 184 from abroad, were still under medical observation.

By Sunday, 1,025 confirmed cases including four deaths had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 45 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 420 in Taiwan including six deaths.

A total of 602 patients in Hong Kong, 20 in Macao and 189 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery.  

Heilongjiang

In addition to the three new locally-transmitted cases reporte in Heilongjiang, there were also four new imported cases on Sunday, the provincial health commission said Monday.

Heilongjiang reported four new imported cases, all of whom were Chinese nationals returning from Russia

All the four new imported cases were Chinese nationals returning from Russia.

By Sunday, the province had reported a total of 381 confirmed imported COVID-19 cases. It had traced 2,093 close contacts, with 582 still under medical observation.

On Sunday, Heilongjiang also reported three new locally-transmitted asymptomatic cases and zero imported asymptomatic cases. The province had a total of 40 imported asymptomatic cases by Sunday.

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Hubei

No new confirmed cases or deaths were reported in Hubei province Sunday, local health authorities said Monday.

The provincial health commission said Hubei had 549 asymptomatic cases under medical observation by Sunday when 24 such cases were reported.

It also said that four COVID-19 patients, all in the provincial capital of Wuhan, were discharged from hospital after recovery on Sunday.

Among the 105 patients being treated in hospital, six were still in severe condition and 14 others in critical condition.

Hubei has so far reported 68,128 confirmed COVID-19 cases in total, including 50,333 in Wuhan.