China reports zero locally transmitted coronavirus cases outside Hubei

Mainland China, outside Hubei province, reported no new locally transmitted cases for the second straight day, as a senior Communist Party official warned against reducing vigilance against the disease and of the risk to social stability.

"We must stay cautious, not be blindly optimistic and must not have war-weariness...," said Chen Yixin, secretary-general of the Communist Party's Politics and Law Commission.

"We should not reduce the vigilance against the epidemic and the requirements of prevention and control."

China had 40 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections on Marcy 8, the National Health Commission said on March 9, down from 44 cases a day earlier, and the lowest number since the health authority started publishing nationwide data on Jan. 20.

Of the new cases on March 8, 36 were new infections in Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubei, while the remaining four in Gansu province were imported from Iran.

The total number of imported cases hit 67, including the four Gansu cases.

The new cases on March 8 bring the total accumulated number of confirmed cases in mainland China to 80,735.

While the domestic spread of the virus has significantly slowed in recent days, authorities continue to be mindful of risks stemming from people - foreigners and Chinese nationals - traveling back to China from affected regions.

Shanghai stepped up airport screening over the weekend as imported coronavirus infections from countries such as Italy and Iran emerged as the biggest source of imported cases in China.

China is also conscious of the tens of millions of migrant workers returning to offices, malls and factories and the potential transmission risks.

Chen acknowledged that while the coronavirus...