Chinese province reports 11 new virus cases from Iran flights - state media

The northwestern Chinese province of Gansu reported 11 new confirmed coronavirus patients, all of whom entered China on commercial flights from Iran, according to state media. A total of 311 passengers arriving at the provincial capital of Lanzhou from Iran have now been quarantined, state broadcaster CCTV reported late on Thursday.

Before the new cases, Gansu had reported a total of 91 infections, with two deaths, it added. Last month, it became the first province to lower its emergency response measures from level I to level III, reflecting the lack of new infections.

As the number of new cases dwindles in China, attention has turned to potential infections arriving from overseas. Iran has confirmed a total of 3,513 infections by March 5, with 107 deaths, its health ministry said on Thursday.

Authorities in Beijing, Shanghai and the province of Guangdong have all promised to quarantine travellers from countries hit the hardest by the coronavirus, which Beijing identified as South Korea, Japan, Iran and Italy. Shanghai has also been tracing people who came into contact with a traveller from Iran who was found to be carrying the virus.