Imported infections, mostly among Chinese nationals returning home, now pose the biggest concern for authorities.

All of the new patients were travellers who came to China from overseas, with the mainland reporting no locally transmitted infections on Wednesday.

The country is seeing a steady rise in imported cases, mostly from Chinese people returning from abroad.

Mainland China had 19 new cases of coronavirus infections on Monday, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday, down from 40 cases a day earlier.