Beijing, Apr 13 (IANS): China reported the highest number of new coronavirus cases in nearly six weeks on Monday, as it tried to prevent a second wave of COVID-19 infections, a media report said.

Having largely stamped out domestic transmission of the disease, China, where the pandemic originated last December, has been slowly easing curbs on movement as it tries to get its economy back on track, but there were fears that a rise in imported cases could spark a second wave of the pandemic - especially among Chinese citizens returning from abroad, said the South China Morning Post report.

Authorities repoted 108 new coronavirus infections over the past day, including 98 cases among travellers returning from abroad, according to data released on Monday by the National Health Commission.

This is the highest number of reported infections since March 6, when authorities reported 143 new cases.

Beijing on March 28 banned the entry of foreigners into China.

Around 300 cases of the coronavirus had been confirmed in the city by Saturday, including 100 infected people who did not appear to be showing any symptoms, the South China Morning Post reported.

China has so far reported 82,160 coronavirus cases including 3,341 deaths and 77,663 recovered patients.