China strengthens medical facilities at Russian border to prevent COVID-19 flare-up

China has reported 46 new coronavirus cases, including 34 imported ones, as the authorities strengthened medical facilities in the country's northeast bordering Russia to stem a sudden flare-up of infections among Chinese nationals arriving from across the border.

China's National Health Commission (NHC) in its daily report on Thursday said 12 new cases of domestic transmission were reported, including five in Guangdong Province, four in Heilongjiang Province and three in Beijing while no fresh cases were registered in epicentre Wuhan.

It said, 46 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported on the mainland on Wednesday, of which 34 were imported taking their total number to 1,534 with 898 still undergoing treatment. Also the increasing number of asymptomatic cases continue to be a major concern for Chinese health officials as 64 new asymptomatic cases were reported on Wednesday of which 61 of them local people.

According to Mi Feng spokesman of the NHC, 6,764 asymptomatic cases of the novel coronavirus infection, including 588 imported ones, have been reported in China as of Tuesday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Wuhan launched an epidemiological sampling survey on local residents to find out the incidence of asymptomatic cases. The survey will cover a total of 11,000 residents from 13 administrative districts in Wuhan.

To ensure the authenticity and accuracy of the data, the sampling survey adopts the principle of random sampling at fixed points. One hundred residential communities will be selected as the survey points. Asymptomatic cases refer to people who are tested positive for the coronavirus but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. They are infectious and pose a risk of spreading to others.

As of Wednesday, the total confirmed COVID-19 cases in China reached 82,341. Altogether 3,342 people had died of the disease, the NHC said, adding that 1,107 patients are still being treated while 77,892 people discharged from hospitals. Meanwhile, China rushed medical teams to Suifenhe city near the Russian border where the virus escalated following steady arrivals of Chinese national from Russia.

The epidemic prevention and control measures will be strengthened at major Chinese cities and key ports in response to the rise of imported COVID-19, He Qinghua, an official of the NHC told media on Wednesday. Health authorities will intensify infection screening, closed-loop management and healthcare service, he said. On Wednesday, China has closed one of its largest makeshift hospitals built in February to treat the surging COVID-19 virus in Wuhan, the epicentre of the pandemic as the number of coronavirus cases abated.

The makeshift Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital ceased operation in Wuhan. Also last group of thousands of medical workers deployed to fight the outbreak also left the city. The number of inbound and outbound passengers in coronavirus-hit Wuhan has exceeded 660,000 since the megacity lifted outbound travel restrictions on April 8, the city's transport department said Wednesday. Hubei province so far reported 67,803 COVID-19 cases, including 50,008 in its capital of Wuhan.