China reports rise in coronavirus cases, most from abroad

China has reported a rise in new coronavirus infections, days after it said there had been no new cases.

The new infections have mostly been found in travellers arriving from abroad.

The deadly virus initially emerged in China's central city of Wuhan. Tough curbs were then imposed across the country that helped in controlling the spread of infection -- although it has spread worldwide to infect 1.6 million people with 1,00,000 deaths.

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Chinese authorities now fear the possibility of a second wave triggered by arrivals from overseas or asymptomatic patients.

While some experts do not expect a big second wave, thanks to China's stringent controls, the possibility could not be ignored, Wang Xinghuan, president of Wuhan's Leishenshan hospital said.

Also, it cannot be immediately known how infectious asymptomatic people are.

China detected 34 new asymptomatic cases on Friday, down from 47 the previous day, according to the health commission.

The National Health Commission said 46 new cases were reported on Friday, including 42 from abroad, up from 42 a day earlier, as Hubei province, whose capital is Wuhan, reported no new cases for a seventh successive day.

Of the new imported cases, 22 were in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, where Chinese nationals crossing over the border from Russia figured in a recent spike in cases.

The rise in cases from abroad has spurred authorities in the southern city of Guangzhou to step up scrutiny of foreigners, ordering bars and restaurants not to serve clients who appear to be of African origin.

To this end, anyone with "African" contacts faces mandatory virus tests followed by quarantine, regardless of recent travel history or previous isolation, it said in a statement, advising African-Americans or those who fear being targeted to stay away.

Mainland China's tally of infections now stands at 81,953. The death toll rose by three on Friday to 3,339.