China reports first local virus transmission in 3 days

A commuter wearing a protective mask enters a metro station as businesses are starting to revert to a normal work routine after an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Beijing, China 27 March 2020.Reuters

Mainland China reported its first locally transmitted coronavirus infection in three days, although cases involving travellers from overseas continued to dominate the total number of new cases.

China's National Health Commission said on Friday that 55 new coronavirus cases were reported on the mainland on Thursday, with all but 1 case involving so-called imported cases. There were 67 new cases a day earlier.

The one locally transmitted case was in Zhejiang province, the health commission said. The total number of infections for mainland China now stands at 81,340, with the death toll rising by five to 3,292, it said.