Chinese mainland reports 18 fresh local Covid-19 infections

The Chinese mainland has reported 18 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Monday, local media reported citing the National Health Commission on Tuesday.

Xinhua News Agency reported that out of the new local infections, six were reported in Xinjiang, five in Beijing, three in Henan, two in Hebei, and one each in Tianjin and Shanghai, according to the commission.

Monday also saw reports of 27 imported COVID-19 cases across the mainland. No new suspected cases and new deaths from COVID-19 were reported on the day, the commission said.

A total of 43 asymptomatic cases were newly reported Monday, 25 of whom arrived from outside the mainland, according to the commission, Xinhua News Agency.

As of Monday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, both local and imported, reported on the Chinese mainland had reached 105,705, it added.

There were 2,616 patients still under treatment on Monday, of whom nine were in severe condition. A total of 4,636 patients had died of the virus on the Chinese mainland since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, China is witnessing a rise in COVID-19 cases in its major cities including Beijing.After reporting the first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the strict new COVID-19 restrictions come into force in the city. This comes ahead of Winter Olympics which is scheduled to be held next month.

Beijing will now require travellers to get a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of arrival in the Chinese capital, Taipei Times reported.

The new rule, effective from Saturday to the end of March, is aimed to help with early detection of Omicron, which is surging globally, and the control of epidemic risks, Beijing Daily, a government newspaper, said on social media.