BEIJING — China's customs had detected 6,728 inbound travelers with illness symptoms as of March 3, the General Administration of Customs said on March 4.

Among them, 779 were suspected of being infected with COVID-19, and an additional 75 were confirmed patients.

On March 3 alone, customs found 227 inbound travelers displaying respiratory illness symptoms. Five travelers later tested positive for the novel coronavirus, including four in Shanghai and one in Beijing.

As numerous countries have reported a rising number of confirmed infections, China's customs have ramped up measures to stifle the spread of the virus over the past few weeks, including disinfecting inbound vehicles and beefing up screenings of travelers from virus-hit countries and regions.