China reports no new domestic cases for first time since start of epidemic

For the first time since the outbreak began, China’s National Health Commission reported no new domestic cases of the coronavirus illness COVID-19.

The numbers from Wednesday on mainland China include 34 new confirmed cases, but the health commission lists those as “newly diagnosed imported cases.” Those were mainly in Beijing, but also in Guangdong, Shanghai, Heilongjiang and Zhejiang.

Deaths continued to rise in mainland China but at a low rate. Only eight deaths were reported, all of which occurred in Hubei province, which is includes the city of Wuhan and where the outbreak began.

There have been 3,245 deaths linked to the coronavirus illness in mainland China , according to the national health commission.