BEIJING — The recent COVID-19 cases in Anhui and Liaoning provinces have contracted the virus via individuals or articles from abroad, said the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) on May 20. 

The actual infection source of COVID-19 cases in Anhui and Liaoning is still under investigation, said Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist with China CDC, at a press conference.

As there were no local transmissions recently, the virus must have come from infected individuals or contaminated articles from abroad, he said.

"The genetic sequence of the COVID-19 viruses found in the Anhui and Liaoning cases were the same. We believe the cases were along the same transmission chain," Wu said.

Considering the result of screening tests in the two provinces, the infection scale will not be as serious as earlier this year, he said.

The Chinese mainland on May 19 reported one new locally transmitted COVID-19 case in Liaoning province, according to the National Health Commission's daily report on May 20.

A total of 11 new imported cases were seen the same day on the mainland.