China's Anhui reports 17 confirmed, 140 asymptomatic local COVID-19 cases

HEFEI -- East China's Anhui province reported 17 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and 140 local asymptomatic carriers on Thursday, the provincial health commission said Friday.

The new confirmed cases were reported in Sixian county and Lingbi county in the city of Suzhou.

From June 26 to July 7, a total of 323 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including one imported case, and 1,258 asymptomatic carriers were reported in the latest resurgence of infections in Anhui.

In Sixian county, hardest hit by the virus, the latest 10th round of county-wide nucleic acid testing found no COVID-19 infections at the community level for the first time since June 26, said the epidemic prevention and control headquarters of Suzhou city on Friday.

This suggests that community transmission in the county has been basically cut off, but the prevention and control situation needs to be reinforced further, the headquarters noted.

Daily COVID-19 infections in the province had dropped for five consecutive days from July 3, the commission said.