China on Tuesday reported 21 new cases of the virus, 20 of them imported. Just one new case was confirmed in Wuhan, the Hubei provincial capital, where the illness was first detected in late December.
The update raised China’s totals to 80,881 cases and 3,226 deaths.
China this week relaxed travel restrictions in Hubei, sending thousands of workers back to long-shuttered factories.
Most of the world’s 78,000 recovered patients are in China. The virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but severe illness is more likely in the elderly and people with existing health problems.
