Ejine Banner in Inner Mongolia autonomous region has identified five new locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases by Tuesday morning since the banner received a notice on Sunday that a couple that traveled to the banner had tested positive, according to a news conference held by the banner on Tuesday.

Two people who tested positive are undergoing the process of being double checked.

A tour group of eight people, including the couple who came from Shanghai, traveled in the banner from Oct 11 to 14, involving three scenic areas, one homestay hotel, four restaurants and one nucleic acid testing site for novel coronavirus, said the COVID-19 prevention and control headquarters of Ejine Banner. The banner has traced 197 close contacts of the tour group.?

On Saturday morning, the couple tested positive in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. Five people traveling with them were also found to be positive. The group had also traveled to Gansu province.

Lanzhou city of Gansu found six positive cases and five of them had been to Ejine Banner, said the city's Chengguan district on Tuesday. Two communities in the city have been raised as medium-risk areas.

Changsha county in Hunan province reported one locally transmitted confirmed case on Monday. The patient came from Gansu province.