Mainland China reports 42 new COVID-19 cases vs 16 a day earlier

SHANGHAI, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Mainland China reported 42 new COVID-19 cases on Oct. 27, up sharply from 16 a day earlier as new cases were reported in the northwestern Xinjiang region, the country's health authority said on Wednesday.

Of the new cases, 22 of them were locally transmitted infections in Xinjiang following an apparent mass infection in Kashgar. The region's health authority also reported 19 new asymptomatic infections, half of the total number of symptomless infections reported in Mainland China for Oct. 27.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in Mainland China now stands at 85,868, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634. (Reporting by Brenda Goh and Jing Wang; writing by Se Young Lee Editing by Shri Navaratnam)