Staff members check the information of passengers entering China at the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, east China, March 18.Photo:Xinhua

The Chinese mainland reported five new local cases of COVID-19 infections on Saturday all from South China's Guangdong Province with two minors infected by local imported cases. 

Among the newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in Guangdong all having close contact with or been connected with imported cases are an 8-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy living with the girl.

The girl was the daughter of a woman who got infected through association with imported cases on Thursday. She owns a restaurant which is frequently visited by foreign nationals. 

Beijing reported one new imported COVID-19 case from the UK on Saturday. The patient has been staying in an apartment in Tuanjiehu, Chaoyang district for a short period and is now in a critically ill condition for refusing to report her health condition during the isolation period. 

The remaining three cases were also infected by imported cases in the province. 

The patient arrived in Beijing with her husband on March 20. On the evening of March 30 she developed symptoms such as a cough, nausea and lack of energy. She took the medicine herself and did not report symptoms when staff asked about her health.

On Friday, she was released from isolation and picked up by her family. She developed a high fever on Friday night and tested positive for coronavirus on a nucleic acid test on Saturday morning when receiving medical treatment at Chaoyang Hospital. The patient is now critically ill and has been sent to the intensive care unit for treatment.

Corresponding management measures have been taken for close contacts.

Shanghai reported two new imported cases on Saturday, arriving from Russia and France respectively. 27 imported cases were cured and discharged in Shanghai on Sunday.

The number of critical local COVID-19 cases in the Chinese mainland fell below 300, and the number of confirmed local cases dropped below 700 on Saturday, the National Health Commission said Sunday. 

Global Times