Number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hubei drops below 50 for first time: official

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hubei, the central China province hardest hit by the epidemic, dropped to below 50 Thursday for the first time, a health official said Friday.

As of Thursday, no new confirmed or suspected cases had been reported in the province for the 20th consecutive day, said Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission, at a press conference in Beijing.

According to the commission's daily report issued earlier Friday, Hubei had 47 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Thursday.

In the last 10 days, the number of imported cases in China has gradually dropped. However, there are still reports of domestically transmitted confirmed cases with connections to imported ones, Mi said.

All-round efforts should be made to thoroughly track the confirmed, suspected and asymptomatic cases and their close contacts so as to eliminate potential risks, he added.