No new domestic cases reported nationwide for 2nd straight day

China reported no new domestic cases of the novel coronavirus for the second day in a row on Thursday while the number of new imported infections jumped to 39, according to the National Health Commission.

Hubei and its provincial capital Wuhan－the hardest-hit region in China－also registered zero new suspected infections, the commission said.

Three fatalities, including two deaths in Hubei and one in Liaoning province, were recorded on Thursday, bringing the total deaths on the Chinese mainland to 3,248.

Commission spokesman Mi Feng said on Friday that China has achieved zero new domestic cases and zero new suspected cases simultaneously for the first time on Thursday, and 18 provincial-level regions have declared zero existing confirmed or suspected infections.

Another 6,569 infected patients are being hospitalized for treatment. "About 37.5 percent of them are in severe condition," Mi said.

According to Guo Yanhou, a senior official with the commission's medical administration and supervision bureau, about 12,000 medical assistance workers dispatched to Hubei had been withdrawn as of Friday. China had sent a total of 42,000 medics to Hubei amid the epidemic.

"They are mostly working in makeshift treatment centers or designated hospitals taking mild cases. Senior experts and intensive care medical teams will continue to stay in Hubei until treatment of all patients is completed," she said.

The new infections on Thursday were all detected in travelers from overseas. Fourteen were in Guangdong, eight in Shanghai, six in Beijing, three in Fujian, and one each in eight other provincial-level regions, the commission said.

The cumulative number of imported infections rose to 228 on the Chinese mainland. That includes three Chinese fencers who returned home on Monday after an event in Hungary, marking the first batch of reported infections in national-level Chinese athletes.

The three athletes were part of a 13-member epee fencing sports delegation. They competed in a tournament in Hungary from March 6 to 8, and tested positive for the virus when going through medical checks at the Chinese border on Monday, the Chinese Fencing Association said on Friday.

The infected athletes are mild cases and are receiving treatment in Beijing. The rest of the delegation is now in quarantine for medical observation, according to the association.

Zhang Zhihao contributed to this story.