China, on Tuesday, reported 78 new cases of the new coronavirus as well as seven new deaths due to the illness, the latest figures from the National Health Commission revealed.
Only one of the new cases was reported in Hubei province, where the Covid-19 outbreak first began in December, 2019.
Of the new cases, 74 were imported from abroad, a new daily high that brings the total number of imported cases in China to 427.
Since December, 81,171 people have been infected with the virus across mainland China, of whom 3,277 have died and 73,159 have recovered.
Also, imported cases of the new coronavirus in South Korea jumped from 47 to 67, Korea’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said on Tuesday.
The overall infections increased by just 76 over the past day.
KCDC noted that nine more people who tested positive for Covid-19 also died in the past day, bringing the total death toll in the country to 120.
On Monday, South Korea had recorded the lowest increase since February 25, with 64 new infections.
The overall cases passed the 9,000 mark, with the 76 new cases.
According to KCDC data, the majority of the deceased were elderly patients with underlying illnesses.
According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, the pace of daily new infections appeared to be slowing since the second week of March as health authorities completed extensive testing of 210,000 Shincheonji followers.
About 60 per cent of the confirmed cases have been linked to a branch of the Shincheonji religious sect in the south-eastern city of Daegu.
Of the new cases, 31 were recorded in the city.
“Amid a steady rise in imported cases, with the 20 cases the biggest one-day jump so far, South Korea has enforced a two-week quarantine period for all long-term arrivals from Europe, regardless of symptoms,’’ Yonhap reported.
