#Coronavirus: China’s Wuhan reports no new infections for first time, imported cases surge

The central Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the country’s coronavirus outbreak, reported no new infections for the first time, while imported cases surged by a record, led by new infections in the capital of Beijing. The new imported infections also accounted for all of the new confirmed cases in mainland China, placing more pressure on authorities to screen travellers at key travel hubs. Mainland China had 34 new confirmed cases on Wednesday, the country’s National Health Commission said, more than doubling from 13 cases a day earlier. Of the 34 imported infections, Beijing accounted for 21 cases, a daily record for the city. That brings the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China so far to 80,928, the health authority said in a statement on Thursday (March 18).