China should take strict measures to prevent imported cases of COVID-19, as they have risen at a faster rate than the growth of all infections globally, a spokesman with the National Health Commission said on Saturday.

Since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on March 11, the number of imported cases in China has increased from 85 to 269, at a growth rate of 216 percent, while the growth rate of COVID-19 cases globally during the same period was 98 percent, said Mi Feng, the spokesman.

Domestic epidemic prevention and control measures should be strengthened to prevent a resurgence of cases, he said at a news conference.

No new domestically transmitted cases of the COVID-19 were reported on the Chinese mainland for the third day in a row on Friday, Mi said.

No new confirmed cases of the COVID-19 were reported in Wuhan on Friday, marking the third day in a row of zero report at the hardest-hit city of the epidemic in China, he said.

Places in Hubei province, other than Wuhan, reported no cases of COVID-19 for 16 consecutive days, and the rest of the country, expect for Hubei, has reported no locally transmitted COVID-19 cases for nine consecutive days, according to the commission.