1. World

China reports 144 new mainland Covid-19 cases vs 138 a day earlier

A man speaks through a loudspeaker as he directs workers to move to a different site, at a construction site, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Beijing, China January 13, 2021. Picture taken January 13, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu WangA man speaks through a loudspeaker as he directs workers to move to a different site, at a construction site, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Beijing, China January 13, 2021. Picture taken January 13, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

SHANGHAI/BEIJING, Jan 15: Mainland China reported 144 new COVID-19 cases on Jan. 14, up from 138 cases a day earlier, the country’s national health authority said on Friday.

The National Health Commission said in a statement that 135 of the new cases were local infections, 90 of which were in Hebei province surrounding Beijing and another 43 in northeastern Heilongjiang province.

The number of new asymptomatic cases, which China does not classify as confirmed cases, fell to 66 from 78 a day earlier.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Mainland China now stands at 87,988, while the death toll remains unchanged at 4,635. - Reuters