China reports 14 new coronavirus deaths; imported cases rise to 123

coronavirus death toll in China rose to 3,213 with 14 new fatalities, while imported cases climbed to 123 after 12 new infections were reported, prompting Beijing to make 14-day quarantine in special facilities compulsory for foreigners returning to country.

As of Sunday, 14 new deaths were reported, taking death toll due to deadly virus to 3,213, China's National Health Commission (NHC) said on Monday.

Sixteen new infections of vel coronavirus on Chinese mainland were reported in past 24 hours, bringing total number of infections to 80,860, health officials said.

Of those new infections, four were in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province, epicentre of virus, and 12 were imported cases.

With a dozen fresh infections, total number of imported cases has increased to 123.

Of 12 imported cases, four were reported in Beijing, four in Guangdong Province, two in Shanghai and one each in Yunnan and Gansu provinces respectively, state-run Xinhua news ncy reported on Monday.

Beijing's local government has anunced to send all international arrivals into city to designated quarantine facilities from Monday as part of stepped-up measures against COVID-19 cases from abroad.

People arriving from abroad were previously allowed to undergo mandatory two-week quarantine at home, but w only those in "special circumstances" will be exempted from being sent to facilities where y must pay for ir stay, it said.

Till w, most of foreigners, except from Italy and Iran, were asked to strictly follow two-week home quarantine supervised by local communities.

But since Monday, Beijing has made all foreigners to undergo quarantine at designated places mostly hotels at ir own cost.

NHC said 41 new suspected cases have been reported on Sunday.

Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan have reported a total of 217 confirmed cases, with four deaths in Hong Kong and one in Taiwan, it said.

In Hubei, total confirmed cases reached 67,798 by Sunday midnight. Of m, majority were reported in Wuhan.

province has seen a total of 3,099 fatalities, it said.

A total of 2,975 patients are still in critical condition in province.

As of Sunday, Hubei saw new confirmed COVID-19 case for 11 consecutive days in its 16 cities and prefectures outside its capital Wuhan.

Wuhan too has seen a single-digit daily increase for five days, indicating that virus is stabilising in its epicentre.

Zheng Yun, deputy head of Wuhan municipal health commission, on Sunday said although city has seen single-digit daily increase of new infections for past few days, re is still a certain risk of infection in communities based on epidemiological investigation and analysis as well as law of infectious disease transmission.