A staff member gives directions to a man at a hospital in Urumqi, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, July 21, 2020. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING/URUMQI - China has effectively contained the rapid spread of COVID-19 in Urumqi and Dalian city in Liaoning province, a health official said on Wednesday.

Experts have been working to isolate the virus and confirm its genome sequence, said Jiao Yahui, an official from the National Health Commission, at a press conference.

Both Xinjiang and Dalian conducted epidemiological investigations rapidly and improved their nucleic acid testing capabilities, an official from the National Health Commission said

Since late July, cluster infections have been reported in Urumqi and Dalian. From July 16 to Aug 4, a total of 670 confirmed cases had been reported in Xinjiang and 90 in Liaoning, the official noted.

The latest oubreak in the two cities had several things in common, such as seeing a rapid rise in infections in the initial stages, Jiao said.

In addition, the average age of confirmed patients in Xinjiang was only 35 years old whereas in Dalian it's 41 years old. Most patients showed mild or normal symptoms, Jiao added.

Both cities conducted epidemiological investigations rapidly and improved their nucleic acid testing capabilities, Jiao noted.

READ MORE: Xinjiang, Dalian discharge more COVID-19 patients

27 new cases on mainland

Earlier on Wednesday, the commission said it received reports of 27 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Tuesday, including 22 locally transmitted ones and five imported cases.

All the new local cases were reported in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, the National Health Commission said in its daily report. According to the local health authorities, they were all reported in the regional capital Urumqi.

The Chinese mainland posted 22 local cases on Wednesday, all in Xinjiang, and five imported cases, the National Health Commission said, adding that 17 patients were discharged

Two of the five new imported cases were reported in Shanghai while Beijing, Sichuan and Shaanxi reported one case each, the commission said.

No deaths related to the disease or new suspected cases were reported Tuesday, the commission said.

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Another 17 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery, the commission added.

As of Tuesday, a total of 84,491 people on the mainland have been infected, including 810 patients who were still being treated, with 36 in severe condition.

Altogether, 79,047 patients have been discharged after recovery, and 4,634 people have died, the commission said.

A total of 2,103 imported cases have so far been reported on the mainland. Out of those cases, 2,007 have been discharged from hospitals after recovery while 96 others remained hospitalized, with two in serious condition. No deaths from imported cases have been reported.

As of Tuesday, the mainland had reported a total of 84,491 confirmed cases, with 79,047 recoveries and 4,634 deaths

By Tuesday, there were still three suspected cases on the mainland, the commission said.

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According to the commission, 23,018 close contacts were still under medical observation after 408 were released from observation.

Twenty-four new asymptomatic cases, including 11 in Xinjiang and 10 from outside the mainland, were reported. No asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed cases.

The commission said 272 asymptomatic cases, including 114 from outside the mainland, were still under medical observation.  

By Tuesday, 3,669 confirmed cases, including 42 deaths, have been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 46 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 476, including seven deaths, in Taiwan.

 A total of 2,141 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR, 46 in the Macao SAR, and 441 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery.