Imported COVID-19 cases now 'the major risk' for China

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The number of newly confirmed novel coronavirus cases imported to the Chinese mainland from overseas has surpassed that of locally transmitted new infections for the third day, official data has revealed. Local authorities said curbing the "imported" infections is the "top priority" for them at this point.

According to the National Health Commission (NHC), a total of 16 new cases were confirmed on Sunday, with 12 being foreign arrivals diagnosed in China.

Beijing is now stepping up law enforcement to contain imported cases as many people rush back from virus-hit countries. Currently, there are 120,000 daily border entries since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 a pandemic last week, according to data released by the National Immigration Administration.

The deadly virus, first found in central China's Hubei Province, has slowed in China, while its spread in the rest of the world seems to have picked up speed. Italy has reported 1,809 deaths, 853 people have died in Iran as of Monday.

Passengers found to be uncooperative with customs during entry, including hiding or forging information about their health and rejecting related quarantine measures, might be convicted or punished for impeding frontier health and quarantine, read a joint statement issued by five national departments.

Multiple cities and provinces, including Beijing and Shanghai, have announced a 14-day quarantine for people landing from overseas. Beijing officials said that all international travelers will be quarantined in a "central isolated place" at their own expense.

Fourteen people passed away on Sunday, bringing the total deaths of the pandemic in China to 3,213. All 14 died in Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the NHC, said at a press conference in Beijing on Monday.

Up till Sunday, there were 148 infected cases from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, 10 from Macao SAR and 59 from Taiwan, the official revealed.