China reported 30 locally transmitted coronavirus cases on Saturday, the lowest daily total in two weeks and a further sign that the month-long outbreak could be waning. In all, 18 of the new cases were from the eastern province of Jiangsu, four were from Henan, four from Hubei, three were from Hunan and one case was from the southwestern province of Yunnan. In addition, 19 asymptomatic cases were reported on Saturday, 18 of them imported and one locally transmitted, the National Health Commission said. The latest outbreak started on July 20 in Nanjing , the capital city of Jiangsu, and spread to 48 cities in 18 provinces, infecting 1,282 people as of Friday, according to NHC official He Qinghua. Of those cities, 36 had not reported new infections in the past five days and most of the others had only had sporadic cases, He said. Coronavirus: China tests tens of millions as second wave of virus hits 17 provinces Wang Jinsong, deputy head of Yangzhou’s health commission, said on Saturday morning that all of the new confirmed infections in Jiangsu were in the city of Yangzhou , where the initial infection was traced to a woman who visited several mahjong parlours after returning from Nanjing. Yangzhou has so far reported a total of 528 confirmed cases, including 26 severe infections and 16 critical ones. It has imposed strict lockdown measures but Jiangsu governor Wu Zhenglong said on Tuesday the confirmation of some cases through mass testing indicated there were loopholes in the pandemic control and prevention measures. Yangzhou authorities escalated pandemic prevention and control measures the next day and then asked all residents to not leave home at all. They added that residents could buy necessities online and volunteers, Communist Party members and community staff would help to deliver the provisions. Yangzhou has had seven rounds of mass testing in some downtown areas since July 28. In the city’s Hanshang sub-district, 100 yuan (US$15.40) rewards are on offer for residents reporting someone who has not been tested since July 28. Rewards of 50 yuan are available for reports on people who have not taken part in the last three rounds of mass testing. Yangzhou police said on Thursday that people who did not have the tests would be warned, fined or even arrested. Meanwhile, more than 70 officials across the country have been dismissed, warned or reprimanded for failing to contain the spread of the coronavirus. More than half of the 20 officials punished in the southern city of Guangzhou were dismissed, including Huang Guanglie, director of the city’s health commission, and 30 officials in Jiangsu were investigated and punished as of Friday. The Communist Party’s disciplinary watchdog for Jiangsu said eight people from Nanjing Lukou International airport – the source of the outbreak – were under investigation, including Feng Jun, party chief and chairman of Eastern Airports.