SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China reported no new local coronavirus cases in the western region of Xinjiang on Aug. 16, according to national data, marking the first time the area’s case count was zero since mid-July.
It marks a new low number for Xinjiang, which had become a hotbed for the virus as cases surged.
China reported on Monday 22 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for Aug. 16, compared with 19 cases a day earlier, the health authority said.
All of the new infections were imported cases, the National Health Commission said in a statement. There were no new deaths.
China also reported 37 new asymptomatic patients, compared with 16 a day earlier.
As of Aug. 16, mainland China had a total of 84,849 confirmed coronavirus cases, it said.
China’s death toll from the coronavirus remained unchanged at 4,634.
(Reporting by Josh Horwitz; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Gerry Doyle)
