China Says Most New Coronavirus Cases Imported

China on Monday reported four more deaths due to coronavirus and confirmed a locally transmitted case.

A statement issued by the National Health Commission said in the past 24 hours 31 new cases were confirmed, but only one of them was locally transmitted. All others were imported, it said.

The lone indigenous case was reported from central Gansu province of the country, with the total of imported cases rising to 723, the commission added.

The tally of coronavirus cases confirmed in China has reached over 81,000, with more than 3,300 deaths since last December when the virus first emerged in its Wuhan city.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the virus has risen to four in Hong Kong, with 641 cases reported so far.

In Macao, 38 cases have been confirmed, while Taiwan has a total of 298 cases, with three fatalities so far.

More than 34,000 people have died of the virus globally, with 723,000 cases confirmed worldwide, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The data shows the virus has spread to 177 countries.

Despite the rising number of cases, most people who get infected suffer only mild symptoms and make a recovery. -