Mainland China has reported 47 new confirmed COVID-19 cases for October 28, up from 42 a day earlier and marking the highest daily increase in more than two months.
Of the new cases, 23 were local infections in Xinjiang involving previously asymptomatic patients following a mass infection reported in Kashgar, the country's national health authority said on Thursday.
The rest were imported infections originating from overseas.
The increase in confirmed COVID-19 infections marks the highest since 49 cases were reported for August 9 but still at a small fraction of what the country saw at the height of the epidemic in February.
The total number of new asymptomatic cases fell to 16 from 38 a day earlier.
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in mainland China now stands at 85,915, while the death toll remains 4634.
Once owner of the world's largest virus caseload, the Asian superpower is now 53rd and immediately behind Honduras , Ethiopia and Belarus, according to a global toll kept by John Hopkins University in the United States.
Australian Associated Press