Mainland China reports 20 new COVID-19 cases versus 13 a day earlier

A medical worker in protective suit collects a swab from a child for nucleic acid testing, following new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Qingdao, Shandong province, China October 13, 2020. Picture taken October 13, 2020. cnsphoto via REUTERS

Mainland China reported 20 new COVID-19 cases on Oct. 13, up from 13 cases a day earlier, the country's health authority said on Wednesday.

The National Health Commission said 14 of the new cases were imported infections originating from overseas. Six of the cases were local transmissions in Shandong province.

The government of Qingdao, located in Shandong, is conducting a city-wide COVID-19 testing drive following a series of infections in the city linked to a hospital designated to treating imported infections.

The commission also said another 18 asymptomatic COVID-19 cases were reported on Oct. 13, compared with 17 a day earlier. China does not count these patients as confirmed cases.

Total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in mainland China now stands at 85,661, while the death toll remains unchanged at 4,634.

(Reporting by Jing Wang and Andrew Galbraith; writing by Se Young Lee; Editing by Himani Sarkar)